The Vatican job
by bee 1993
Summary: Sort of a combinationa between Meg Cabot's humor hopefully  and a little bit of ally carter:  It's actually different characters and different storyline, I was just inspired by these two authors. So, enjoy:
1. Chapter 1

1.

People say that there are jobs that you are born to do, rather than choose to. It all comes down to a matter of vocation versus occupation. My entire life, I believed that there were only four of those that fell under the "vocation" category: doctor, teacher, scientist and thief. And I was always very proud that my way of earning money was the royalty of all vocations. Don't get any ideas now, I'm not out there saving lives, thought it often happens as a side effect. And no, I am not teaching little and extremely spoiled children that sharing is good and that the integral of a sin is a negative cos. And I am definitely not stuck in a lab, studying cells and speeding up electrons in a Large Hadron Collider. Which leaves us with option number four. That's right ladies and gentleman, I am out and proud! I am a thief and I pride myself on the fact that I am one of the best in the entire world. Even though I am an eighteen-year old girl, which is already more than enough. The following story only strengthens that thought. Why am I sharing it? Well, even though I don't really go to a therapist, (imagine what a shock she would have had if I told her that I stole the mask of Tutankhamen from the Ethnological Museum of Vienna and replaced it with a fake one, just so I can prove that there is no curse), I believe that getting information out of your system is good for your health. So, that is exactly what I am doing, getting it out of my system. Who knows? Maybe I'll even figure out why on earth would I do the things I did? If not, blame it on the hormones.

It all started out this one completely uneventful day, when my dad decided that I was leading a much too passive live, and something should be done about it. Apparently he forgot about the fact that his last five jobs, on which he took me, involved a ridiculous amount of mountain-climbing, diving in long-lost and forgotten caves, and basically every single gymnastics move I have ever done in my entire live. You see, my dad, is kind of a… well, why fuss around it: a treasure hunter. That's right, you heard me: my dad's professional occupation is looking for treasures. The drill is usually really simple: someone comes to my dad's agency claiming that there is this legend passed down in his family that somewhere in Uruguay or another less-civilized location there is a buried casket with fist sized rubies that belongs to his family. My dad, the nice man he is, says that he will do anything in his powers, and after drilling the client for a couple of hours, lets him go, with a paycheck in his pocket and the promise to get back at him. Sometimes he does. Sometimes he doesn't. If the former, then the size of the find is seriously decimated. If the latter: I'm sorry nothing could be found, did my best, bla-bla-bla and all that bull.

Anyhow, my dad happens to have a very small company. There are in fact only two employees in it. It keeps us off the radar when it comes to government organizations, but it also allows me to do what I really enjoy, which is finding my own treasures. Only in my case, those are not diamonds or gold. My treasures are incriminatory books, long lost and vanished from the face of the earth because they contained deadly evidence. The problem with my treasures is that usually someone already has them. And they don't really want to let them go. Ergo the necessity of theft. Of course, sometimes I amuse myself with the occasional art work or some really nice necklace, but those are just for fun, my heart being forever given to unveiling information. Or trading it. It varies from case to case.

But, back on track now. My dad, the one and only Kyle Richardson decided that it might be a good idea for me to change my environment a little bit. You know get away from all the treasure hunting and book stealing. And in a strike of pure genius he decided to drop this news by me while I was getting ready to go to Venice for a well-earned vacation. Of course I was going to look through some private book collection while being there. Without the permission of the owners. I mean it would have been a waste of fuel to get there, and I was aware of the environmental damages caused by the fumes that planes emanated into the atmosphere.

"Honey, I've got perfect news!"

I looked up from the book I was reading, and braced myself for the worst. In dad-speak, 'perfect news' meant 'I got things just the way I wanted'.

"Dad, why do I have a bad feeling about this?"

He just smiled that smile of his that made women swoon. No kidding. I've witnessed that numerous times. I mean, there is no way you are going to be looking for a treasure without attending at least a couple of those social gatherings where the rich and famous give away money for the poor and miserable. And that's when my dad usually turned on the charm.

"That's just the way you operate, Nika. So, do you want to hear what I have to say?"

"Not really, but I have a feeling that you are going to tell me anyways." I said putting my book aside.

My dad sat down on my bed and looked me straight in the eye.

"Niks, you know I've been talking about you changing the surroundings, just for the fun of it, and…"

"Hold up, you are serious about it? I thought that was just, you know, babbling to keep me on my toes!"

The smile on his face was almost apologetic. And the tone he used was also filed with genuine concern.

"Baby, you're eighteen now."

"Dad, I know I'm eighteen. And we've had this talk before. If you are afraid of my…premature awakening, to put it in your terms, don't worry. I am an old maid according to modern standards."

He just gestured me to stop talking and listen.

"It's not about that issue. Although now that I come to think about it... But that's not what I wanted to tell you. I wanted to tell you that I have arranged for you to live in France for a while, with a friend of mine."

I literally felt the world crash. For a couple of moments there, I expected him to drop the serious face and say with a laugh "Gotcha!"

Only he didn't.

"You've got to be kidding me! France, dad? Seriously! I hate that place! Ever since the Louvre Job! I have traumatic memories about that place, and you send me there! Nice job, what can I say."

"I think you'll survive. You'll have the chance to meet the most influential people in the entire world, and maybe, you'll pick up some manners along the way."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

"So that's what it is about? You are shipping me to another continent because you don't like my manners? Dad, you are a better liar than that! Tell me the truth."

No response.

"Half? Ok, I'll settle for a quarter." He didn't say a word. "Ok fine, don't trust me, that's on you. Who I will be living with?"

My dad gave me a conspirator's wink and said with a mysterious air:

"I guess you'll just have to find out there baby."

I sighted and started packing up my stuff. I was pretty certain that there was already a jet waiting for me at the airport. Good thing I was a fast packer.


	2. Chapter 2

2.

As I stood there, in the small waiting room of the Le Bourget, the smallest airport near Paris, serving mostly business jets like mine, I couldn't help but think the standard teenage thought that goes, with small variations, like this: Life's not fair. I wasn't kidding about hating Paris. I know, I know, it is supposed to be the most romantic city of the world, and all that shebang, but I couldn't help it. I hated it ever since I was a baby. I guess it was too…pretentious, and I was always a fan of the subtle. And while Paris has been described with a lot of detail, not once the word 'subtle' has been used.

"Miss, would you care to follow me?" a voice with a thick English accent said behind my back.

I turned around and saw a prim and elegant butler, about fifty years old, donning the straightest posture I have ever seen. His entire being was composed and together, something that only tradition can give.

Reluctantly, I followed the butler to a black limo, waiting for me at the front door. He wanted to open it for me but I stopped him:

"It's ok, I got it."

He gave me a small nod, and said:

"As you wish miss."

I sighted. Here we go.

After almost an hour long ride, the limo finally stopped if front of the most beautiful building I have ever seen. Actually no, scratch that. It was the most beautiful chateau I have ever seen. Eighteenth century architecture, the forest trees peeking in the horizon and the dulcet tones of the water coloring the tranquil air… I almost forgot that I was in France, that my dad shipped me for some unknown reason, that moments ago I was really pissed on the entire world…And of course, just when I started enjoying myself, someone had to burst my shiny bubble and bring me back to reality.

"Well, well, well….Who do we have here? If it isn't the infamous Nika Richardson? I thought you swore never to put foot on my property ever again!"

I felt the hair on the back of my neck rise. That voice! It was like every single person in my life decided to play Nemesis for one day.

"Sebastian. What a pleasure to see you again." I managed to say without my voice escalating to a roar.

I turned around, and sure, there he was, surrounded by sunlight, looking all hot and macho, while I was bleary eyed, tired and with no trace of make-up on my face. Great.

He studied me for a couple of moments and I tried my best not to give into any of my impulses. Oh, and there were so many of them! First, to punch him. Second, to kiss him. Well, that makes two. The others were just combinations.

"Welcome to Chateau Barbizon, my most recent purchase. 9 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms, located 50km from Paris and south of the forest of Fontainebleau, has stables and a swimming pool." He paused for a second and then added in a mischievous tone: "Anything a girl can dream of."

Leave it to Sebastian to ruin a perfect moment.

"Thanks, but I am not interested just how big your insecurities have gotten over the past year. Show me my room, and do me a favor: leave me alone!"

Sebastian made a tsking noise.

"My-my! Is that a way to treat your ex-boyfriend?"

Yeah, that's right. My dad arranged for me to spend my entire summer with my ex. Like I said, it was a stroke of genius.

"You know what Sebastian?"

"What?" he answered in a voice that dared me to start an argument.

"Show me my room."

Whatever it was that he was expecting me to say, clearly it wasn't that. Props to me for acting like the mature, sophisticated and calculated young woman I aspire to be. When I am not fuming with rage over the fact that I have to spend an entire summer with my ex.

"Your room Miss." The butler held the door and let me enter in a beautiful room, decorated just like the boudoir of Marie-Antoinette. Yet, despite that, I would have preferred spider-webs and rats, because no matter how beautiful the room was, it was still an incarceration cell. A gorgeous one, but still a restraint.

"I'll leave you to unpack. I am on line number 3, in case you need something."

He was already at the door when I called him back.

"I don't exactly know your name, Mister…."

"Gerald. You can call me Gerald, Miss." He said with a warm smile. "Don't hesitate to call me if you need anything." And with that said he gently closed the door, leaving me and my thoughts alone, in the cold beauty of the room.

Now, I had to admit, Sebastian must have put a lot of thought on where to place me. The room was on the east side of the house, so I could catch the early sun that Sebastian knew I loved so much. It also had a magnificent view of the Marne, and he knew how much I loved the water. There was also a clear view of the main entrance, a favor to my obsessiveness with knowing who was coming and leaving. Under further inspection, I realized that even the colors in the room were the ones that I liked: shades of beige, green and yellow. But I really started freaking out when I noticed that the furniture was arranged just the way I liked it, aka, just like the furniture in my own house.

It looked like he remembered every single detail of my room! If I didn't know Sebastian, I would have said that this person was on the Looney wagon, and nothing less than that.

'Creepy to the max, huh Sebastian?" I muttered to myself as I was unpacking my suitcase

"And here I thought you might like a familiar setting." His mocking voice said behind me.

Apparently he was not going to leave me alone until we had some sort of conversation. Very well. After all, I was over Sebastian Nottingham, and there was nothing keeping me from a civilized discussion with him.

"It is very nice that you put so much thought into this entire ordeal. I really appreciate it."

He raised his brow at me, clearly not buying it.

"What? You can raise your brows however much you want. The only thing you are going to get out of it is wrinkles."

"Witty as usual. But I didn't come here to argue. After all, we are adults and we can be polite around each other."

Look at him, so concerned about etiquette. It looked like I was going to have to work on my manners after all.

"Fine. What was that you wanted to tell me? That I am not allowed to leave the grounds of your property? Or that if I really want to leave, there should always be someone accompanying me? Or my personal favorite: always inform you about my movements? Thank you very much, but my dad already got it covered."

He stood there quiet for a minute, and when he spoke again, his voice was like melted chocolate: moist and delicious.

"Nika, there is no reason for you to be bitter about this situation. I am sure you will find it rather pleasing. I mean, you get to spend an entire summer in a French chateau! What can be better than that?"

I looked at him, with this tentative smile on his face, waiting for his voice to do the magic. I guess it was a good thing I dated the guy for a year. I knew all his little tricks. This particular one meant that he was trying really hard to hide something. And he forgot that I kind of had immunity against the powers of his charm. After all, you are left with only so many illusions about a guy after you take him on a job in a burlesque bar with you.

"Sebastian, how long have you known me?"

"One year, eleven months and 3 days." He answered without missing a beat.

Wow! I was impressed. And I felt like I was a character in one of those teen novels where the guy was all sensitive and considerate, while the girl was…not.

"You precision is admirable, Sebastian. So, in the year, eleven months and three days that you've known me, you didn't figure out that I am better at spotting lies than a freaking polygraph?"

"Look, it's not…"

"Yes it is! Come one, give me some credit! You really think that I would buy this whole 'cultural vacation' thing? Or 'you might have a chance to work on you manners'? You and my dad are trying really hard to hide something. I mean, look at you, going all chocolate-voice on me! If that's not a sure give away, I don't know what is!"

Ok, I'll admit, I was expecting him to crack and beg for forgiveness. He was always a little bit of a push-over when it came to me. But it looked like he's gotten an immunity of his own, because the only thing he did was turn around and leave. That's right! And he didn't even smash the door! Well, that was probably because smashing an eighteenth century door was just…barbaric. And Sebastian was not a barbarian. Quite the contrary.


	3. Chapter 3

3.

The best thing about being a shady person is the fact that you kind of have a gut feeling when another person is being equally shady. Translation: I knew my dad was up to something, and I had every intend of finding out. So, I made sure that along wiht my clothes, which were not that many, I packed a couple of electronic devices. Not too many, just a couple of laptops and a couple of signal collectors and signal jammers, but enough to be able to find out what exactly was my dad up to.

So, after I finished unpacking my suitcase, I plugged in all my electronic toys and activated the Nano-bug that I planted on my dad when I left. The good thing about Nano-bugs it that they are small, pretty much undetectable for the person carrying it, and you can trace them from the other side of the world. A perfect tool for someone who is trapped in the middle of nowhere.

As I was going through the video records from our house, I couldn't help but think that my dad must have been pretty all over the place, if he let me get in our security system so easily. I mean, if he was trying to hide something, he was doing a lousy job. Even a beginner could have cracked that encryption that he put on the files. And his movements…they were terribly hectic! Like he had to make a decision and he didn't know what to choose. In the morning he goes to NYU to visit his old friend in the chemistry department, and then he goes to a jewelry store, then to a photo studio… I knew for a fact that he wasn't on a job, because I had access to all his computer files, but there was no reasonable explanation to connect all the dots. I figured that I might have to wait a little before my dad's plan would unravel in front of me. In the meantime, I would have to try and find a way to get out of this place.

Now, at this point you might be wondering why was I, a thief with supposedly no morals, was following my father's orders to the letter. Well, I was my father's daughter in a lot of ways, and I knew that if I've planted a bug on him, he must have done the same thing to me. I just had to find it. Until then, I was stuck in chateau Barbizon. With Sebastian.

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a gong that announced that dinner was served. Well, that was my best guess. I suddenly realized that I was kind of hungry. So, I decided to give my inner spy a break, and go get something to eat.

When I entered the dining hall, I realized that Sebastian sure must have some kind of a complex. There is no way he just likes things that are so grand. I mean, there were just the two of us in the entire chateau, but the table was served like he expected at least a dozen guests. And what richness! Every dish that you can imagine, and some that you can't, was on that table! Little mountains of fruit were every couple of seats and there was a table that had all kinds of pastry on it. I've seen royal dinners that were less elaborate.

But the weird thing was that no one was in sight. No garcons, no butlers and not a sight of Sebastian. Just when I was ready to turn around and leave, the door opened and I heard the most hysterical laughter in my life. It seemed like there were a lot of 'most-insert the word' things in this place. My trained ear picked up the notes of the laughter that Cosmo describes as 'sexy-frivolous', but to me it sounded like a hyena wailing at the moon. I mean what's the point of laughing if it's not genuine? You either laugh because something's funny or you don't. Period.

Anyways, the waves of laughter were approaching and I saw the source of this 'music'. Obviously it was a girl, and obviously she was drop dead gorgeous. Delicate and petite, she made every guy feel like he was a Man with capital 'M'. Her features were soft, and those huge brown eyes were like the eyes of Bambi, brown and always on the verge of tears. No point in saying that she had an amazing shape overall. Now, it was probably me being angry over the fact that I was wearing sweats and a baggy T-shirt and the girl was in a cute dress, that I thought that the laughter didn't fit. I mean, she was supposed to be a fairy, not some burlesque dancer. But despite this dichotomy, it looked like Sebastian was buying it with great pleasure, if the smile on his face was on any indication.

When he saw me, I could swear he took a step back. I guess he was going to impress the girl with his charm and wit, and I definitely wasn't the audience he wanted. I chuckled and with a confident stride closed the distance between us.

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend Sebastian?" I asked in the sweetest voice in my arsenal.

"Um, sure. Um, Eliza, this is my old friend Nika. She'll be staying with me this summer. Nika, this is Eliza. We met at an art exhibition and I decided to show her the pieces we have here at the chateau."

All this time, this Eliza person stood there gaping up at me, like I was some kind of tyrannosaur. Not that I couldn't understand her. 'Interested in the pieces at the chateau' my ass! Even I could admit that Sebastian was quite a catch. Seeing me must have been quite a disappointment.

"I think this is a good time to eat!" Sebastian said a little bit too eagerly. "Ladies shall we?" and he gestured to the table.

"Oh, look at the time!" Bambi exclaimed. "Pere will be worried if I don't get home before seven."

"You really need to go?" Sebastian asked in the voice of a helpless baby. I recognized that voice. He used it on me when he needed something. At least he was consistent with his technique.

"Oui, je suis desole, mais…" and she flipped her eyes in my direction. "Demain."

"Are you sure?"

"Completement!" she said with a glorious smile. "Au revoir, Sebastian." She whispered to him. Then she turned to me and before she could say anything I said:

"C'est domage que tu ne puex pas rester. Je voudrais entendre parler de toi."

Her face was priceless! But, to her credit she recovered quickly.

"Sebastian didn't tell me you spoke French. You have a very nice accent."

I smiled humbly.

"You are flattering me. But nevertheless, thank you. So, I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"

Pretty much speechless, Eliza nodded. I turned to Sebastian who was more and more resembling a statue.

"Sebastian, where are your manners? Our guest is in a hurry!"

He snapped out of whatever trance he was in, and took Eliza by the arm and escorted her out. Now, I know it's bad when you are happy when someone is miserable, but for the first time since I've learned that I was being shipped to France I was happy. If Sebastian was stupid enough to listen to my dad, I was going to show him what a fatal mistake that has been. In a matter of days he was going to beg me to leave. Warmed by that thought, I went to the table, and piled my plate with everything that looked nice to me. No reason to let perfectly good food go to waste.


	4. Chapter 4

4.

"What did you have to do that for?" Sebastian stormed in the dining hall as I was finishing up my vegetable lasagna.

"It took me almost a month to make her agree to come here, and now, thanks to you she thinks I am some kind of monster, because only a monster can have monstrous friends!"

I didn't even try to sneak in a word. Sebastian never said something in a phrase when he could extend it to a paragraph. The key was just letting him deflate on his own. So I just took an orange from a nearby tray and started peeling it.

"I don't even think you realize the effect you have on people. I mean, that poor girl is scared to death that you might come after her! She heard enough of jealous American girlfriends to know to watch out for them!"

I finished my orange and got up to get a cup of coffee from the table near the window.

"Where do you think you're going?" he inquired; his voice escalating to such heights, that soon only bats were going to be able to perceive it.

"To get a cup of coffee. No way on earth I would miss this particular tantrum of yours." I said as I poured myself a huge mug, and adding just a little bit of milk on the top. Again, I was amazed that he remembered that I only drunk coffee from huge mugs.

"Oh, I thought you were leaving." he added in a deflated voice.

I returned to the table and sat right across Sebastian. By the looks of it, he was cooling down, so I decided it was safe to talk to him.

"Listen, I am sorry that I put a potential girlfriend of yours on the run. If you want, I'll write her a note where I apologize." Seeing his amused expression, I admitted: "Ok, I won't ever do such a thing, but it's the thought that counts."

He lifted his gaze up, and I saw in his eyes the warmth that attracted me in the first place. I liked to think that he got that look only when he laid eyes on me, but…well, I knew I was kidding myself. Still, sometimes kidding yourself is healthy. As long as it doesn't become excessive.

"Niks, I know what you're going to ask me, and the answer is no."

"Maybe you should listen first?"

"I know you. That is between your father and me. You are not to be involved."

Not to be involved. Not a phrase I heard often. Actually, I never heard that before. My dad always filled me in on his affairs, and when we used to be together, Sebastian never kept anything from me. But I guess everything changes, since two people that, despite anything, I trusted the most, decided not to return the favor. Ok, then. It looked like I was on my own.

I took my mug and got up.

"You know Sebastian, despite all the things that happened between us, I still thought I could trust you. I thought we had a connection. You know, something more than what might connect you with this Eliza person. I guess I was wrong."

And it hurt more than admitting that he didn't love me anymore.

There have been numerous books about how to deal with a breakup. Women all over the world sobbed their way through those first weeks, sometimes months; when the fact that he's not in your life anymore doesn't seem real. They consumed tones of ice-cream, chocolate, cheesecake, cookies, chocolate-covered almonds…basically the entire range of comfort foods, in a futile attempt to fill the hole in their hearts. And then, at a point, they woke up and realized that it was a new day, and they wanted to live it. Then they threw away all the junk food (ok, maybe kept the chocolate-covered almonds. I mean come on!), went on some sort of Master Cleanse to get rid of those extra-pounds, slapped on some make-up and they were ready for a new beginning! All that drama becomes a thing of the past, and the sight of the ex-flame doesn't really cause the cash of all metabolic systems at once. The scenario is pretty much the same for everybody, and there have been thousands of women before who have gone through the same thing, and there will be thousands who will get to experience all the joys of a breakup. That's the circle of relationship right there for you. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite the same for me.

Sebastian and I met at a gala dedicated to the opening of a new opera in La Scala, in Milan. It was my sixteenth birthday, and my dad gave me tickets to Berlioz's opera Les Troyens. I remember feeling so incredibly mature, wearing a silk dress, draped like the gowns the ancients Greeks used to wear, with delicate golden leaves on the hem. I got my hair up in an elaborate twisted do, and a golden thread was intertwined with my sandy with shades of auburn curls, making it look like there was a ray of sunshine trapped in it. It was the first time I felt beautiful, truly beautiful, and now, looking back, I would give anything to have that feeling again.

But what a night it was! The colors, the laughter, the music, all blended together, creating magic, true magic! I kept dancing, talking to strangers, laughing at random jokes, twirling and flying on the wings of my own naiveté. Then suddenly, I felt a hot palm on my shoulder, and a deep voice whispered in my ear:

"I beautiful young lady like yourself shouldn't be alone on a night like this."

I smiled and turned around, only to face the most beautiful boy I have ever seen. Tall, with a posture that only the assurance of one's wealth can give people, he was looking at me like I was the most precious gem in the world, like I was the find of his life. Those deep green eyes were shining like emeralds, and I could see the candle lights dancing in them. I knew, at that instant; that never anything like that would happen to me. Never would I meet a boy who would melt himself in the warmth of my being. And never would I be able to forget that first night, the night when my destiny was sealed.

Back in the safety of my room, I felt my knees give up. Why did my dad decided to put me through this torture? What has he gotten himself into if he wanted me on another continent? What was scary enough for him to call the boy who broke my heart and ask for help?

It's strange how the human brain works. Sometimes you struggle to remember something, that you know for sure that you have in your memory, and you can't quite put the finger on it. Like an encryption that is missing the key. But then, somehow, you find that pattern that opens the puzzle, and bam! the encryption is cracked and you have the information that you needed.

Sitting in front of the computer and looking at my father's movement throughout the day, I don't know why I remembered this particular conversation we had when we returned from a job. I think it had something to do with some family diamonds hidden in a Steinway piano. I remember my dad playing some jazzy tunes and me making hot cocoa for us. Then suddenly he stopped in the middle of a trill and said:

"Honey, I have something to tell you. Something that I want you to remember very well, because someday you might need it. There might come a time when I will have to send you away." Seeing my horrified expression, he smiled and added quickly: "That won't happen soon, dear. But when it will, I want you to remember that all the answers lie in a book. It is kept in The Vatican Archives, and it is encrypted using the Da Vinci method. You will have to steal that book and the Da Vinci's journal to decode it."

"But daddy, what will I find there?"

He chuckled, and ruffled my hair.

"That my dear you will have to see for yourself. Now let's play some jazz."

I think I stared at the computer screen for at least ten whole minutes before the images flashing in from of my eyes registered. Then, I got up and ran up the stairs until I reached Sebastian's room. Without bothering to know, I barged in his room, and ignored the fact that he was wearing only Spiderman pajama pants.

"Sebastian, we are going to need the old crew. We have a job coming up."

"Really? And what would be the target of this sudden job?" he asked in a mocking tone.

"Vatican."


	5. Chapter 5

5.

Twenty minutes later, the first ten dedicated to Sebastian repeating "Holy shit!" over and over again, and the last ten to finding a shirt for him to wear in the mess of his room; we were sitting in his office exchanging bewildered looks and feeling like the sky just has fallen on us.

"Ok, let me get this straight. Your dad told you that you need to find some sort of record book and Da Vinci's journal so you can figure out why the heck he sent you here?" Sebastian asked for what seemed the thousand' time.

"For the last time, yes. I remember it really clearly."

"Look, Niks, no offence, but that is not the reason why your dad send you here."

"Fine." I said crossing my arms across my chest. "Would you care to enlighten me on why exactly my dad shipped me to a place he knows I hate and entrusted the person who cause me more pain that any torture device to look after me? And your reason better be good, because if it isn't I am personally calling everybody."

He took a deep breath, and said in a steady voice:

"Your dad told me that you needed to get away from a bad breakup, with this guy you've been dating for six months. A change of environment, and all that stuff. And he asked me not to tell you that I knew about this because you are quite sensible about this whole ordeal."

I tried really hard to hold back the hysterical laughter that was forming in the back of my throat. Boyfriend drama. Figures. Always go the closest you can to the truth if you want to make the lie convincing. Thanks dad. When I figure out what mess have you gotten yourself into, and get you out of it, we are going to have a nice long talk. About privacy. And trust. And betraying both of those things.

"Sebastian, I don't know how to break this to you, but I'll try. You see, after we broke up a year ago, I haven't been with anyone."

"Really?" he said, his entire face lighting up like a Christmas tree.

"You don't have to sound so happy about it. But yes, I haven't been in a relationship since my birthday, last July."

The day when you decided to end our relationship, I added to myself. The perfect birthday present.

"Well, when my dad called me and said that you need someone to distract you, I…"

"Jumped to the wrong conclusion. It's fine, stranger things have happened."

We stood silent for a couple of seconds.

"You really didn't date anyone for a year?" he asked quietly.

Yeah right, like I was going to trust anyone after what you did to me. Like anyone was going to compare with you. Like there was a chance of me falling for someone else, after everything you've given me.

But there was no way I was going to say any of this out loud. So I just settled for something more adequate for the circumstances.

"No I didn't, and I really think you should drop it right now, that we have established that my dad didn't send me here for an extra-long therapy session. So, can we call the rest of the crew now?"

He paused for a beat before talking.

"How long has it been since your last job?"

"Two weeks. Why?"

"Not your one-woman operations. A big job. Where more people are kind of required."

My last big job. With more people required. Sure I remembered it. It was last July. My birthday. Something that was supposed to be the best day of my life. Something that would top the day I met Sebastian. When I come to think about it, it sure did. Top it, that is. Just not the way I wanted it.

"That's right. What makes you think that they'll come after all this time?" he asked, clearly seeing the thoughts unravel on my face.

"What makes me think that they'll come?" I said with a mischievous smile. "No one has ever robbed Vatican before." I took the phone out of Sebastian's hands. "Trust me. They'll come."

Five minutes and five calls later, I turned and faced a stunned Sebastian.  
>"I hope you weren't kidding about those nine bedrooms, because we will be expecting company."<p>

He looked at me in awe.

"How did you do it?"

I gave him my best smile.

"Like I said, no one has ever robbed the Vatican. And there's always a first time for something."

The first one to arrive was Pam, or as Sebastian liked to call her, the Blam. Before you get all hot and bothered, there was a reason for this nickname. Pam was our explosive guy. I mean explosive girl. Basically, if there was a closed door that nothing technological could take, our Pam would crack that baby open in a matter of seconds. Plus she was just fun to hang with. Tall, muscular, with the skin of color mocha and a throaty laugh, she wasn't the one to hold a grudge longer than five minutes. Even now, after a year of no contact whatsoever, she rushed to hug me, like nothing happened, like I haven't been hiding from then in my dad's treasure hunting and my own book searching.

Shortly after Pam, we were joined by Adam and his extremely expensive Maserati; that send all the birds of the Fontainebleau forest flying in horror. Again, there was a perfectly reasonable explanation for his car: Adam was our designated driver. And not because we were often drunk. It was just no one could get you out of a knife fight in Mexico City better than Adam. I've checked, so take my word for it.

The next one to come was Carolina, the girl that could probably give all hackers in the world a run for their money. Tiny and shy when talking to people, she was a monster behind the laptop, and if I prided myself on being pretty handy with technology, compared to her, I was like a first grader compared to a PhD.

And last, but not least were the Galaxy brothers. No joke; that was their real last name. Colin and Christian, eighteen and nineteen accordingly, were a sore spot for the eyes, both resembling Brad Pitt, if he were to have Italian coloring. The Brothers, as we called them, were geniuses at distractions, finding original exits out of sticky situations, and generally powerful exits. Good thing they were good at leaving, because all across Europe there was a trail of girls that fell victims to their charm and got burned. Hard.

So, just like that, after a year of not speaking to each other, the whole gang was back, united by a random trail of events and their desire of becoming legends. Who said vanity wasn't as good of a motive as any? The fact that they came kind of proved my point.

Of course, some really small part of me hoped that they came remembering everything that connected us, and wanted to give me a second chance. What can I say, hope springs eternal, and who was I to defy such an old statement?


	6. Chapter 6

6.

"Hi everybody. I would like to thank you very much for coming at such short notice. I really appreciate it."

Ok, I know I sounded like the president of the student council, but come on, I was nervous! Those people, except Sebastian, have been working with me ever since I was thirteen years old, and dad decided that I was old enough to look for my own treasures rather that assist him in finding his. Before Sebastian joined us, we were pretty much unbeatable, but when he did, we became the epiphany of all thieves. We had brains, we had resources, and most importantly we did not know what fear was. The only boundary that we had was our imagination. And I was the one that ruined this perfectly oiled machine. So pardon me if I was kind of feeling the butterflies as I stood in front of all those people, in Sebastian's dining hall.

"So, I know you all want details about this whole Vatican thing, but the problem is…" I took a deep breath for courage" I don't have any. "

I expected any kind of reaction: disappointment, anger, anything. I certainly haven't braced myself for the silence that lay over the entire room the moment those words left my mouth.

For a couple of seconds I half expected them to stand up and leave, but surprisingly, none of them did. They just sat there, clearly expecting me to continue.

"What I know for sure is what my dad told me a couple of years back. He told me that there will come a time when he will have to send me away, and when he will, I will have to find this one book, called the Record Book, where all the answers will be. The trick with this particular book; is that it's encrypted in a rudimentary code, used by Da Vinci, and pretty much forgotten by modern cryptographers. So we'll need Da Vinci's journal too. And all that is being held in one of the most secure places in the entire world, the Vatican. The Secret Archives, to be exact. That's about it guys, and you are under no pressure of joining me in this quest. I completely understand if you don't have any desire to tie yourself with me ever again."

Tentatively I looked at all those faces in front of me. Every single emotion was on display there: fear, excitement, disbelief, awe, reluctance… talk about contrasts. And then, when I was starting to think that no one is going to agree on this and my heart began its ascend to my larynx, Christian said looking for a second at everybody:

"I don't know why you look like a scared rabbit, Niks. As far as I'm concerned, we're all in!"

There are a lot of places that are protected like hell. The Pentagon. The NASA headquarters. Fort Knox. A dozen of museums. A couple of private collections. But nothing truly deserves the title of a veritable fortress, with one exception. The Vatican Secret Archives. Protected not only by the newest technologies, but also by the religious zeal, those archives are practically unreachable even for the true masters of theft. Only someone truly desperate would even attempt to rob the citadel of hidden knowledge. Good thing despair was the leitmotiv of my emotions.

"Guys, a couple of seconds of attention please." Carolina said in that quite voice of hers that immediately silenced everyone in the room.

We were sitting in my room, since I already had some equipment installed, and I couldn't help the feeling of a déjà vu. It was only a year ago that we were sitting in my room in New York, bouncing ideas off of each other, getting ready for what would turn out to be the biggest disaster in my life. But this time, it just had to work. I don't know why, but I had the feeling that there were going to be lives at stake, and no way anyone was going to die on my watch.

"I know that I might sound like a broken record, but you don't know what you're getting yourselves into. There is no way on earth you are going to find a way in. It's easier to get an audience with God himself than get in there. It's not a museum where you can just enter and snoop around. You have to have permission."

"Everything can be bought, Lina. You just have to offer the right price." Sebastian said in a tone that only old money can give you.

"Not everything is for sale Sebastian." She replied calmly. "I know, it is not a familiar concept to you, but people who chose that life, do it out of their moral beliefs, and not because of the benefits they might get out of it." Before he could disagree, she added: "I am not talking about high officials. There is no one more corrupt than the Catholic Church, that's a common truth. I am talking about mere bishops, prefects, the people that work in the library. You need their seal of approval, along with the pope's, and there is nothing you can offer them for it."

Sebastian counter-reacted at her words, and I hid a smile. Just like old times! Lina was an advocate for morals, whereas Sebastian was more of a… rules optional kind of guy. They would always get into some really heated arguments; that would continue until someone stopped them, which is exactly what I did.

"Things that can't be bought usually can be forged. And with Vatican's tendency towards modernizing, there's got to be some digital trace of this permission that we can hack into and recommend them to let us in. I'm sure it won't be a problem for you Lina."

She blinked a couple of times, processing the information.

"I'll see what I can do." And she immediately immerged into the world of zeroes and ones.

"The thing that is a much bigger problem than getting in is getting the book out. If this book is an important and a secret one, then it's kept in the Bunker. And the bunker is no joke. Everything there is tuned in such a way that it reacts at the smallest changes, whether it's humidity, pressure or temperature. And the books can be viewed only in the presence of personnel, in special booths, that automatically lock in case of danger. No cases, no pens, no cameras, no cellphones allowed, basically nothing digital. Also, the chances of this book being available in electronic format are very slim. Any ideas so far?"

I wasn't surprised by the silence and the look of sincere cluelessness that I saw on everyone's faces. I mean, it's one thing to rob private collections, and galleries. But Vatican? That was a completely different ball game. And it looked like the realization of that fact just started creeping on them.

"What if we ask nicely?" Adam suggested like it was the most obvious solution, looking me straight in the eye.

It even took me a second to realize where he was going with it. Flashbacks of one of our jobs flickered in front of my eyes. My own image wearing a skimpy outfit. At least ten girls wearing no more than I did. A group of men drinking scotch and smoking expensive cigars, while we were dancing on an improvised stage. Some hands groping me, while an urgent voice, filled with animal lust, told me everything I needed to know.

"No flipping way! Are you out of your freaking mind?"

He just smiled at my disdain.

"Oh come on Niks! You were always the one to say that the surest way to con someone was to play on his weaknesses. And what other weakness can a clergyman have, other that physiological abstinence?"

Once the words came out of his mouth, you could literally touch the tension in the room. Then, slowly, Sebastian got up and went close up to Adam until there were mere inches between their faces. They were both big guys, over six three, so the whole scene looked particularly dangerous. Then, in voice that could probably cut steel, it was that sharp, Sebastian said:

"If that thought crosses your mind ever again, I promise you, I will personally break every bone in your body, and the only vehicle you'll be able to maneuver will be a will chair. Got it?"

And even though Adam was no wussy himself, something in Sebastian's eyes made him back up.

"Good. Now that we've established what we can't do, how about us going to our rooms and get some rest?"

Suddenly everybody seemed to remember that it was past midnight, that they all had to take jets to get here and they were tired, and better ideas came on a clear head, and basically the entire round of excuses that people use when they need to get out of a room. STAT. So in matter of minutes, I had my room all to myself, with the exceptional display of machismo playing again and again in my head. It looked like I was going to have a long night ahead of me.


	7. Chapter 7

7.

Sure enough, I couldn't sleep. I kept thinking about what Adam had said. The surest way to con somebody was to play on their weaknesses. Did I really say that? It sounded like the type of psycho-babble that my dad would say. Dad… What kind of crazy shit has he gotten himself into that I had to pull an almost impossible con to figure it out?

In a rush, I took out my cell phone and hit number one on speed dial.

"I wondered when you were going to call." My dad's deep voice said on the opposite side on the world.

"Can you talk?"

"To certain extend. Did you remember?"

"Dad, what the hell is going on? And don't feed me your usual 'you'll have to see it for yourself' bullshit, because now it's bigger than just you and me!"

He chuckled in the receiver. I could hear it so clearly, like he was standing right in front of me.

"You can't even imagine how big it really is, pumpkin. I figure you've called your old crew?"

I didn't even answer that. He knew me well enough to predict my actions.

"Dad. Please. I am old enough to handle whatever you throw at me. I can help you if you just give me the chance! I…"

"Nika, listen to me carefully" he said in a rushed voice, and I felt my entire being freeze. "You have to find this book, because my life depends on it. Many years ago, I've made a mistake. I trusted the wrong person. And now, if you don't make the information from that book public, your old man might become a thing of the past."

"Dad…"

"Don't interrupt. There is someone if France that is able to help. He is known as The Count. Sebastian might know him. You have to find this man, and he will give you more details. And sweetie?"

"Yes dad?"

"Be careful. This is not something out of that teen novel you were recently reading with such pleasure. It's real."

I rolled my eyes, knowing that he could almost see me doing it.

"I've got to go now. I love you honey."

And with that he was gone.

"I love you too dad."

The next morning, I woke up to the sounds of a bell chiming. I looked at the antique clock on my night stand. Eight o'clock. Usually, I woke with the sun, but this time someone drew the curtains while I was sleeping, because I didn't remember doing it the night before. There was also a small bouquet of tulips on my table. Only two people in the entire world knew that tulips were my favorite flowers. And one of them was kind of across the ocean.

I smiled all the way though my morning ritual of sun salutation and some stretches. I could almost hear Pam's voice muttering in a disgusted tone 'pathetic!' with her upper lip curling in disdain. All it took was some attentiveness and a couple of lousy flowers to send my head swooning. So what? I might have been a world-class thief, but come on! I was still a girl. Who hasn't had any guy attention in over a year.

I came down wearing my usual ensemble of cotton sweats and shirt. Everybody, but Sebastian, was already there, and apparently they thought that there was some kind of a dress code, because the girls were wearing dresses, and the guys were donning jeans and white shirts.

"Look who finally decided to grace us with her presence!" Colin declared mockingly, while he gave me a kiss on the cheek.

I always had some sort of special relationship with Colin. It was at my house he crashed during his parents' divorce. It was me who he came to when he needed advice or just felt lonely. It was me who he came first when he made the decision to come out. Out of the whole bunch, it was him who was the hardest to let go. And now, when I looked at his sun kissed face, I was happy that he was willing to put everything aside, and start again. Like the romans used to say, tabula rasa.

"A true lady is never late. It's everybody else who's early." I shrugged in that annoying manner that the Upper East Side socialites did at their upscale gatherings.

"By the way, what's up with this whole smart-casual thing you are all sporting?" I asked while I was putting some fruit salad on my plate. "I mean, don't get me wrong, it looks cute, but you know this is not weekend at Hamptons. You are not required to dress up."

Right when Colin opened his mouth to answer me, Sebastian entered the room, wearing the guy version of what I was wearing, navy blue sweats and a white shirt.

"Good morning everybody." He took a look at our little gathering, and said with a hint of humor in his voice: "Guys, after all the time you've spend in my houses; you should know that there is no such thing as dress-code here." With that said, he sat at the head of the table, grabbed three buttered toasts, a chocolate croissant, the jam, and poured himself a glass of orange juice.

Everybody looked at me, like I was supposed to give some explanations. I shrugged and dug in my fruit salad. I had to give it to Sebastian; he had the best chefs ever. Well, he generally preferred the best of everything. He simply didn't imagine anything else.

Since it was obvious that neither I nor Sebastian were going to offer further commentaries, everybody proceeded with their breakfast. Only when I finished my first mug of coffee and poured myself a second one, I said the phrase that everybody was waiting for me to:

"Let's get to work."

It's a scientific fact that when people spend a lot of time together they become kind of tuned to each other. Predicting reactions, finishing up each other's sentences, that kind of stuff. That is what makes a good crew a stellar one. Sitting there, on the sunny porch of Sebastian's castle, I could see that after a couple of hours of slow movement, things have started to pick up, like someone riding a bike, unsure, but steady, the muscles remembering the movements, each round coming easier than the previous one.

"The thing I don't understand, is why your dad wouldn't just tell you who the hell this Count is?" Christian asked, looking up from the Vatican blueprints Carolina somehow managed to dig out.

I raised my hands in an I-have-no-idea gesture.

"The only thing he said that this dude was in France and Sebastian might know him. Obviously he is giving us some kind of clue. I just don't see it."

I've been thinking about our conversation for the past couple of hours, trying to see if I've missed something in the original frenzy. Then it hit me.

"Mother…." I muttered as I got up and ran in the house, followed by the surprised cries of my friends.

In my room, I hastily opened my suitcase and rummaged through it, not caring about disturbing the perfect order. In a matter of seconds I found what I was looking for. Then, I ran down the stairs only to be greeted by confused expressions. They were staring at me and the book that I was carrying in my hands.

"I can't believe I missed it! And he specifically pointed it out!" I said as I opened the book about Venice that I was reading when my father dropped the news about my impromptu vacation, and flipped through its pages, looking for something.

"And what exactly are you hoping to find in here?" Pam inquired in her no-nonsense voice.

"This!" I exclaimed, victoriously holding up a folded piece of paper. "I should have immediately seen it. I mean, my dad knows that I don't read teenage novels. God! I can't believe I missed it. It's like missing the sun or something!" I said as I unfolded the paper and everybody huddled around me, anxious to see what was on it.

What we saw was definitely not what any of us expected. But I was fairly sure that it was only I who knew the true meaning of the symbol on that paper. The other just started talking, clearly having no clue about the importance of that sloppy figure scribbled in a hurry on an old receipt. Only after a couple of moments, Sebastian noticed that I was staring blankly in front of me and shushed the others. He slowly squatted in front of me.

"What is it Niks? You know what it is?" he asked quietly, like he was handling a very dangerous explosive without any protection whatsoever.

I looked at him, and saw on his face the reflection of my own fear.

"It's the Sons of Hermes." I whispered, my voice trembling with the realization of how big might be what we've got ourselves into.

"The Sons of Hermes? What the hell does it meant?"

I closed my eyes for a second; afraid that if I didn't my head just might explode.

"It means my friends" I said opening my eyes, and looking around me "that we are seriously fucked up."


	8. Chapter 8

8.

It's one thing to plan a con that would target one of the most protected institutions in the entire world. It's a completely different to realize that you are, in fact going against one of the most influential organizations if the world of gentlemen of the night. Well, gentlewomen as well, due to recent emancipation.

The realization of said fact, hit me with a force of a truck. And the funniest thing was that everybody seemed completely unfazed by what I've just said. Yeah, I have that kind of sense of humor.

I lifted my gaze from the rock I've been hypnotizing for the past five minutes, only to meet Sebastian's eyes, filled with concern. He might have been a jerk for doing all the things he did, but he knew me pretty darn well. And one thing I wasn't known form, was panicking. And that was exactly what I was doing right now.

"Look guys, if that is what I think it is, and the Sons of Hermes are really involved, then I would strongly suggest you to go and book the next flight to some exotic island, and stay there until this whole ordeal, whatever it is, will be over."

It literally pained me to say such words, but like I said, no one dies on my watch. And death was becoming something with clearer edges by the second.

"What do you mean go and book the next flight to some exotic island?" Christian demanded in a confused voice. 'Maybe you would care to explain what the hell this stick is and why are you freaking out like this?"

"This…stick, as you called it, is actually the stemma of the most powerful organization in our world. It's like the Vatican for the Catholic Church, only with the influence it had in the middle ages."

They looked at me clearly unfazed.

"What the hell is a stemma?"

I wasn't expecting for that to be the next question that would come out of Christian's mouth.

"An emblem, like a sign of identification. Sort of a sigil of approval. God, go buy yourself a dictionary. I can recommend some pretty decent editions."

"Ha-ha, very funny Niks. Ok, I get it, they are uber-secret. I mean, that's kind of a mandatory condition to survive in our world. Why the whole scarier-than-thou attitude?" he asked in the cocky tone of a guy who never got burned hard enough to remember the lesson.

"God, I don't know Christian, maybe because if they don't like you, you're dead?" I replied, suddenly feeling annoyed. "Guys, this is no joke. Those people have records of every job that has ever been done! Since pretty much the beginning of times! They know things…that can cause no less damage than a dozen nuclear bombs! Probably even more. I don't know what my dad did to piss them, but it's not to be taken lightly!"

I looked at their calm faces, like the midday sky, with the sun high and no traces of clouds on it.

"Don't you get it? Those people are truly the ones who rule this world! They control presidents, businessmen, clergy… everybody! One word, and you are erased, like you never happened. I'm not going to let you die over something that you don't even understand!"

Slowly I watched my words sink in; emotions unravel across their faces, silent signals being passed, quick decisions being made. After all, it all came down to moments like this, when in a matter of seconds you had to make the decision of your life, when causality got the best of you, and all probability theories flew out the window.

It was Carolina, the quietest out of all of us who spoke first.

"There is one thing you told me once, Niks. You told me that true friends are one soul in two bodies. Well I think that you kind of defy this rule. After all, you've always been rules-optional kind of gal. You are the soul that unites all of us, and there is no way we are going to let you go through this alone. So count us is." She paused for a second, waiting for the others to say something. Not even a flinch of movement in those couple of seconds when Lina's steal gaze was passing over them. "No matter what, count us all in."

The person who once said that people were ready to create a fair society and take only how much they needed was quite a delusional guy. It's a person's second nature to grab everything that is within his reach, because hello, if I don't someone will and while I am all for being fair and square, we live only one life, and generally, why should I be the one restraining myself when my neighbor doesn't? That's why people need laws. They need to be afraid that something bad will happen to their own well-being, so they won't do crazy stuff. The best example: religion. It's ninety percent fear and ten percent belief. Sad, but unfortunately true.

With thieves it's more… complicated than that. As a concept, thieves defy rules on a daily basis. It's not like taking things that aren't really yours is kindly suggested in the Ten Commandments. Ironically enough, it is the thieves that have the strictest ethic beliefs. Talk about dialectics in real life. But even with the strongest set of morals, thieves can't escape from their nature, and that nature is human. It's easy to get addicted to this seemingly lawless world, to this rush you get when you take something that doesn't belong to you and walk away, practically becoming a god… And this is the cue when the Sons of Hermes enter the stage.

Some rumors say that they were created by Alexander the Great, it the first year of his reign, before he waltzed off to conquer Asia. Others claim that is was Emperor Constantine the Great, in an attempt to regain control over his shaky empire; that was drained by the constant battle between Christianity and Paganism. But no matter the origins, all sources agreed on one thing: you never, under any circumstances should cross the Sons of Hermes. Because if you do…let's just say bad things happened. Like the kind where a dozen of forensics teams just stop and stare.

"Basically, the Sons of Hermes make sure that no one jumps higher than their head. Even if sometimes they have to shop that head off in order to make their point clear." I said as I took a book off the shelf in the library where we have relocated. "See this, is a classic example how this organization operates."

It took a couple of minutes for everybody to read paragraph I pointed out. Then slowly, like someone waking from anesthesia, Sebastian said:

"So you're saying that one of the most massive operations ever organized by the Church was, in fact, not organized by the Church? Niks, I know you are all about crazy theories, but this… this is too much even for you. I mean this is the day when The Order of Templers went down! And it's a documented fact that they were accused of blasphemy and that kind of stuff. Besides, how come I've never heard of these Sons of whatever Greek god he is?"

"The only thing that proves is that they are good. Well, actually this particular op shows that they were sloppy. Their clean-ups are supposed to go unnoticed by the general public. It this case, we have what is usually called 'a clash of interests'. Besides, it's not like the Church, or the Government never asked them to do small favors for them. They don't even realize that in actuality they are making a deal with the devil. And you either serve the devil till the end of your days, or you're dead. There's no such thing as quitting."

I was getting the clear feeling that this whole part-truth part-mystery thing was kind of getting on the nerves of my crew. After all, they believed in things they could touch and eventually steal. Informational theft did not fall under their area of expertise.

"Look, let's just forget about this whole thing and start all over again."

"What do you mean forget? We've spend the last couple of hours pretty much readjusting all the concepts we've had about the world, and now you tell us to forget about it?"

"Not forget as it erase permanently form your memory. Forget as in let's look at this from a different angle. We can't march in their headquarters and say 'hey what did Kyle Richardson do, if he hit such a sensitive nerve?' So we try the back entrance. "Seeing as no one provided any thoughts on the idea, I added: "The count."

"Yeah, well it would have been nice if we actually knew who the hell this count was." Adam muttered while dropping a cherry in his mouth.

I took all my strength not to dump the entire bowl over his head.

"Oh, I'm sorry. And here I thought that this was the best crew in the world. The clock is ticking! And fast! So do me a favor, get you heads out of the gutter and start thinking! After all, you've got a reputation to maintain." And smile that I gave them was almost wicked. The Sons of Hermes were in for a big surprise.

Do you know how many counts there are in France only? A hundred and fifty three. That's right, there are that many rich and snobby guys, who think the sun shines out of their assertive, just because their grand-gran-grand something was a favorite of some obscure king in the middle ages. And all one hundred and fifty three of them were going to be present at the Annual Ball, held in the place that was built for love and saw more crimes of passion that all the other buildings combined: Le Chateau de Versailles. All that we had to do was get in. And figure out which one of all those counts was the one we needed. Oh, and also convince him to talk to us. No biggie.

"This ball is pretty much like the American equivalent of the opening of the Season. It's invitation only, obviously, and it's only for the crème de la societe. But I think I can score two invitations." Sebastian said, looking at me suggestively.

"You go, champ!" I said in my best go-fight-win voice. "Again, like with so many other things, getting in is not our biggest problem. It's finding the count that matters. My best guess is that he's going to have something relevant to the Sons of Hermes symbols on him. So Lina, we'll need you to hack into their security system and have eyes and ears at all times. Think you can do that?"

"You know Niks, you really are offending me." She replied with a grin.

"Then we'll need a car."

"I've got it covered." Adam said.

I pursed my lips and narrowed my eyes at him.

"Define 'covered'?"

"Well, I hope the latest model of Austin Martin (look for models) is not too shabby for your taste, Miss Nika. Trust me; you'll make quite an entrance. And if you really put some effort in it, we can stage a very colorful exit."

Did I mention that Adam had a tendency towards the theatrics?

"Regular entering and exit is fine. We do not need fireworks. No repeating the Vienna job." I said in an icy voice.

"Hey, we all agreed that it would be a nice touch." He yelled back at me.

"Yeah, like the scar that I have on my hip is a nice touch." I looked him straight in the eye. "No fireworks."

"Now you three" I said turning to the Brothers and Pam "I want you to search every car in that parking lot, every single coat. Pick pockets if you have to. And also, remember the Ukraine job?"

They nodded.

"We might come home with an extra person tomorrow, so…you know what you need."

"And Sebastian?"

He looked at me, excitement clearly splattered all over his face.

"I'm going to need a dress."


	9. Chapter 9

9.

The best thing about being friends with multi billionaire is that there isn't such thing that he can't get, no matter how short the notice is. The worst thing about being friends with a multi billionaire is that, when it comes to clothes, he tends to think that less is more.

Not saying that the dress that the one and only Sebastian Nottingham picked wasn't beautiful. It would have been easier if it was butt-ugly. But it was… something that revealed more than I was willing to show. On an official event that is. No point in denying that I was naked for a fair share of my professional career. You don't choose this line of work if you have insecurities. And not that the dress had a huge split that rode to my butt, or my cleavage was out to play… actually it was quite the opposite. It was jet black and the only thing that was left exposed to the public was my face. Its silky touch gently hugged my entire body, creating that hourglass shape that I was never able to obtain, clinging to all the right places, accentuating all the right curves. And I guess what struck me the most, was that Sebastian, who was all for the short and revealing, picked this almost nun-like dress. Well, that according to his standards. He was maturing, and I… didn't expect it.

Bam!

The sound of something that looked like a fifteenth century crystal vase colliding with a wooden floor broke the silence that fell over everybody when I entered the room.

"Guess there is no need to ask you how I do I look, huh?" I joked trying to ease the atmosphere a little bit.

"Nika, you look…." Adam started, with his eyes wide.

"Beautiful." Christian finished, coming closed, as if trying to see if I was real.

I smiled, watching them take my appearance in. And ok, I guess it was quite a change from my usual sweats and t-shirt attire. The fact that Sebastian arranged for a hairdresser from Paris to come and do my coif and a professional make-up artist worked on my face probably helped as well. And of course let's not forget the diamond and opal earrings that I found lying next to the dress. After all, the right accessories are the key to a perfect look.

"No." I heard Sebastian say behind me. "She doesn't look beautiful."

I turned around and for a moment there I thought I lost the ability to breathe. It seemed to be all coming back now, that first night we met, all the jobs we did, all the secret laughs we shared, all those stolen kisses…

"She is beautiful." He whispered coming closer and taking my arm in his.

Our eyes met for a brief second and I could feel myself slowly sinking into the vortex that his green eyes were. If he would have asked me to jump off a cliff at that instance, I wouldn't have thought twice. The connection was so strong, that it almost hurt. And I knew he felt it too, I felt it in his fastening breath, in his slightly shaking hand.

"Um guys?" I heard someone's reluctant voice far-far away, like I was surrounded by water. "We kind of need to go."

Sebastian was first to regain his composure.

"Of course." And then he looked at me and bedazzled me with one of his smiles. "You ready?" he asked like we were about to go to the prom.

I might have been a girl, and I might have been not completely over him (no point in lying to yourself) but I was a hell of a con artist. And tonight, that was the only part of me that mattered. So I lifted my chin, put on a luscious smile and purred in my sexiest voice (I swear it made Sebastian blush!)

"Are you?"

"We might want to work on a cover story." Sebastian said as we were watching the countryside roll by.

"Cover story?"

"Yeah, you know if people start asking stuff."

I couldn't help but snort. I know, didn't go well with the dress, but still.

"Sebastian, people don't give shit about other people, unless they somehow affect their own well-being. If not, that you might as well been an empty space."

He sat silent for a while. Then when he spoke, his tone was the wisest I've ever heard him use:

"You know, sometimes I wonder how did you end up with me, despite all your judgments and morals? It seems like you don't believe that people can be good, as a concept."

I looked at the screen that separated us from Adam, and really wished that it wasn't closed. At least that way, I would have been spared of a meaningful talk, on the way to a meaningless event.

"Sebastian, as usual your timing is impeccable. You seem to have some sort of a sixth sense for picking the most inopportune moments to have life-changing conversations."

"Just answer the question."

Easy for you to say! It wasn't you who ended up heart-broken.

"Again, this is neither the time nor the place. For crying out loud, Sebastian, there is a fat chance that we are going to kidnap a very important person tonight, and here you are, asking me existential questions? And you act all annoyed that I won't answer them! Well let me tell me something, honey. First of all: we have something much more important to focus on right now. And second: you've lost your right to know what I think a year ago."

He looked quite stunned by my outburst. Then, in a ridiculously quiet voice, so quiet that if I didn't see his lips move, I would have thought that I was having an audio-hallucination, he said:

"Someday, I'll win it back." Then he fell back on his seat, looking like someone who's just run a marathon in blasting heat, no less.

And they say that it's the spine that you can damage the easiest. What fools! It's the heart. Always has been, always will be.

Le Chateau de Versailles is fairly considered one of the most impressive pieces of architecture known to man. Initially a small village located at the crossroads that led to Paris and two other royal residences (look them up), it became The royal castle after Louis the XIVth decided to transform the small hunting house he had there into a marvelous palace, all that to sing praise to his love at the time, Louisa de La Valier. Of course, she soon was replaced by Atenais de Montespan, who was, at her turn, replaced by Francois de Mentenon. The Sun king was quite a womanizer. Personally I was never able to contain a shudder whenever I set foot in that place. It was so beautiful that is seemed almost haunted. But maybe that was just me who read far too many books depicting all the lies and crimes and all those things that happened behind closed doors, carefully guarded by people who prayed to Gold instead of God. It had its secrets, Le Chateau de Versailles, secrets that many people have died to secure and even more to unveil.

But it was easy to forget what Versailles really was when it was swimming in lights from torches and all richness was on display, like it was tonight. It was easy to lose yourself in the magic of the night, the sounds of laughter, and the divine music. It was easy to let go of all your worries and bathe in the world where even lust had an aristocratic edge. But I couldn't allow myself that.

"Ah, Mr. Nottingham. It's a pleasure to see you here tonight. You don't grace us with your presence very often." The butler said as he took our coats.

Sebastian didn't answer, just gave the man his tip and with an arm on the small of my back, guided me to the main entrance. It was so weird, seeing him in his natural habitat. When he was with me, he was always the one asking the questions and me answering them. Tonight, I was on his turf for a change, and truth to be told, it kind of made me nervous.

"Ok, guys, I've eyes and years on the entire building." Caroline's voice said in the small com unite I had in my ear.

"I hear you. Adam?"

"Car parked at the back exit, ready to go when you are."

"Good. Pam? Anything so far?"

"We've X-rayed all the suits. Nothing so far."

I took a double take.

"You what? How did you get an X-ray machine in here?"

"Look left."

So I did, and then I saw the answer to my question. Pam and Colin were making every guest pass through one of those machines that they make you go through in the airport. Only instead of a simple metal detector, it snapped a picture of what was inside everybody's pockets. Of course there was also the radiation issue there, but, oh well! With all the abuses this people did on a daily basis, a little radiation would probably serve them well. You know, kill the germs or something.

"Very clever you guys. Where's Christian?"

"He's taking the bathroom." Colin's voice informed me cheerfully.

"I take it he's lost the five mile challenge?"

Let me explain. Bathroom duty is not exactly what it sounds like. Well, to a certain extent. You don't have to clean it or anything, but you still need to keep an eye on it. And frankly, it sucks. So Colin and Christian have this little mini marathon, and whoever loses takes the bathroom. In all my time working with the Brothers I have never seen Christian lose to Colin. But, after all, I haven't seen them in almost a year. Change comes quickly with teenage boys.

"Yep! By five minutes!" Colin's voice was practically beaming with smugness.

"We'll see how smug you'll sound when I'll get a rematch." Christian piped in.

I suppressed a laugh. This whole bantering before a job…I missed it. Not to say that my one-woman operations weren't exciting, but nothing can replace company.

"Ok, now that we've established who is where, can we please focus?" Sebastian demanded in an authoritarian tone.

Look who's all professional for a change. But, no matter how much I didn't like to admit it, he was right.

I could feel my posture automatically changing, squaring my shoulders, slightly arching my back and, well emphasizing my very much present curves. I looked up at Sebastian, who was standing right next to me, looking shy all of a sudden. This might have been his turf, and I might have been nervous, but in an instance it all went away. I was a natural performer and this? This was show time.


	10. Chapter 10

10.

Every girl wants to be Cinderella. At least for one night. To fell the eyes of everybody on you, watching your every move, men rushing to claim you for the next dance and women becoming greener and greened by the second with envy. And it's ok, I guess. For an average girl, who goes to such gatherings for the fun. In my line of work, too much attention was, how shall we phrase it? Unwanted at the very least, disastrous at the most. And that was exactly what happened to me.

The very moment I set foot in that ballroom, I was subject to constant harassment from all Sebastian's friends, and not only. None of them has met me when Sebastian and I were dating, and apparently, I was not the type with which Sebastian usually showed up at a party. I guess I should have been flattered. And I was, really, but it kind of distracted me from what I really came, which was looking for the count. I am pretty good at multitasking, but it's kind of hard to juggle clandestine jobs with discussions about diamonds. Or cars. Or estates. And my personal favorite: the starving children of Africa. Because I don't know why, that was all those guys would talk to me about. It was actually kind of insulting. And sexist. Not to mention distracting. In a rare moment when no one was asking me what I thought about emeralds or sapphires, I turned to the window to check with my crew.

"Lina, please tell you got something for me. Those guys are like freaking hawks, once they get you, there's no escape."

"Well, you got to admit, you are quite a catch." her mocking voice said in my ear.

"Sure, but am I the only one?"

And believe me; that wasn't some sort of fishing for a compliment. I mean, I knew I looked good. But there were at least a dozen girls who looked better and about twenty who looked about the same. Bu were they constantly dragged by people they didn't know? Of course not!

"Well, I've got something that will make you happy. We've got a lead."

Finally! No more starving children!

"Look straight ahead of you. Right next to the statue of that flying chick there's a guy. He's wearing a Sons of Hermes pin."

I scanned the crowd. I saw the guy who she was pointing to, but I couldn't make out the pin at such distance.

"Did you check him?"

She snorted.

"Obviously. His name is Count Hailsham the Tenth, age nineteen, plays polo and swims, voted the most eligible bachelor of this year according to People and currently unattached."

"Lina, did you check him for criminal records or for social gossip? Is he in the system? Is he into anything weird, like, I don't know, collecting shark skeletons or something of that variety?"

"Shark skeletons?"

I shrugged, knowing that she could see me.

"Whatever. That's weird and you know it."

"No, he's perfectly clean. But his father, not so much. Apparently he was accused of fraud, forgery, eh… the list is quite long. And…"

"Let me guess. He came out as clean as new." Stupid system.

"Yep. Shinny like a quarter. Do you need anything else on him?"

"Um, a name would be nice?"

"Oops, sorry. It's William."

Ah, my favorite name. Talk about irony.

"Ok, I'm going in. wish me luck."

"Honey, the way you look tonight, you certainly don't need it." She laughed in the com.

Little did she know… Sexy is not solely about looks. I mean a good body helps, no arguing on that, but the way you carry that body is far more important than a perfectly shaped butt.

I took a flute of champagne from one of the passing waiters and took a sip contemplating whom shall I be today. The innocent girl always was a good choice, but it required more…fluffiness to it, and I certainly didn't have the right look for that. The lady-vamp look? Certainly not one of my favorites, and most likely to annoy Sebastian. Remembering his outburst at Adam's suggestion of me seducing a bishop, I decided that it was a pass. So I settled for something that I knew was a sure eye-catcher: myself.

I tried to locate Sebastian, to tell him that we had a lead, but apparently he decided to do some mingling of his own, and was now engaged into a conversation with a tall blonde, with boobs that defied gravity. And that coming from me, with my own C cup, and a large one to that, was something. Ah, whatever. Not like I cared. Plus I had a count to seduce err…question. And judging by the flock of girls surrounding him, that wasn't going to be easy.

He saw me when I was about ten feet away, as I was approaching him in my best imitation of Naomi's catwalk. Apparently I was doing a good job, because he was watching me intently, paying no attention to whatever the perky blond in pink dress at his side was saying. I could literally feel his gaze appreciating me, looking me up and down, and finally settling for my face. So our guy wasn't completely shallow. Points for him.

Now, as I was getting closer I could make out the pin that Lina was telling me about. Yep. That was Sons of Hermes all right. Then I took my sweet time looking him up and down, sending the guy into a slight blush. He was perfectly built, about Sebastian's height, but more on the lean side, whereas Sebastian was slightly bulkier. His eyes were like the sea during a storm and his sandy hair was just the right length, not too short to be too simple, but not too long to give a messy look. Needless to say that his tuxedo was impeccable, with his shirt perfectly starched and the bow tie located exactly in the middle.

Have you ever watched one of those National Geographic shows where they show the behavior of various animals? So you know how the weaker ones kind of disappear when something stronger comes their way? Well, that was the thought that crossed my mind as I closed those couple of feet of distance between William and me, because just as soon as his entourage saw me, they vanished. Just like that. Poof! And they were gone. I finally reached the guys side and crooked a hip. Trust me; always a good thing to do is such situations.

"Sorry to have scared your groupies."

"Who, them?" and he waved around dismissively. "They were certainly pleasant to look at, but unfortunately their talents didn't extend farther than that. So" he said looking me straight in the eyes "don't bother about them even the slightest bit."

Damn, the guy knew a thing or two about eye contact! It was like he tried to hypnotize you with those steely eyes, see the bottom of your soul, it was that powerful. Luckily, I wasn't so shabby in the eye-contact department myself. We stared each other down for a couple of moments, almost as if sizing each other up, and then he was the first one to let go.

"Well, I guess now that we've drilled holes in each other, some introductions are in order? I'm William." He extended a hand.

"Nika" I said as I shook it.

"Solid hand-shake. I like that. But your hands are made for kisses, daughter of light." And he demonstrated it. With a lot of grace, might I add.

"Nice king Solomon impersonation. Though I think he didn't exactly talk a lot about hands. He usually cut straight to the chase."

William, without letting go of my hand, said in a voice that probably was more chocolate-like than Sebastian's:

"And here I thought girls like foreplay."

"Oh please, we all like some variety now and then." I said as I started walking towards a quitter spot. He followed, moving with a dancer's elegance. I wondered if Lina got her facts wrong. A guy who played polo for a sport couldn't walk like that.

"Well then, straight to the chase it is. Are you here alone?"

"What do you think?"

He studied me for a second, and then said in a serious voice.

"I think not. Beauties like you never travel alone."

Geez! Intense much, aren't we?

"Well, if you mean the hearts of my conquests, I always carry them with me. After all, we are in France. It would be a shame not to continue the tradition started by one of your queens."

I actually made that last remark for my own benefit, but to my own surprise, he got the joke.

"Well, I think you'd give Queen Margo a run for her money. After all, she was only playing a Greek goddess. You, on the other hand are named after one."

Cute and literate! A lethal weapon indeed. People might think that it's only with girls where the smart and pretty combination is pretty rare, but believe me; with guys it's even worse.

"I'm impressed. Someone who actually knows Greek mythology. Speaking of it, that's quite an interesting pin you have."

He looked down at it, seemingly caught by surprise. Yet…something felt wrong, like he was expecting me to ask this exact question.

I didn't even notice that we were standing on the balcony overlooking the Gardens, the night surprisingly quiet around us, all the frenzy left behind, in the Gallery of the Mirrors.

"I suppose it is. Only to certain individuals."

Something in his voice worried me. He sounded like a shark circling his prey (what was with me and the shark analogies anyways?), and I didn't like that role.

"My father used to say that the day when I wear this pin; a beautiful woman will come looking for me." He said as he touched the pin with his thumb. "I always laughed at him, saying he was an old romantic fool. But, I guess I shouldn't have dismissed his words that easily."

He brought his face inches away from mine, so close that I could distinguish the little flecks of steel in his eyes.

"So what is it that you find interesting about this pin?" he whispered as he carefully traced the contours of my jaw.

Ok, contrary to common belief, being around hot guys doesn't make you immune to them. Yeah, you learn how to control your facial expressions and give them hell when needed, but it doesn't stop your body from shivering when an exquisite guy does something like this.

"Is it the delicate work? Or maybe the medium in which it's done. Or maybe" he said as he ran a finger over my lips "it's what it stands for? The Sons of Hermes?"

And then he kissed me. Just in time for Sebastian to see it as he was walking out of the ballroom, onto the balcony. Cue the dramatic music, because suddenly, the amount of drama in my life just doubled.


	11. Chapter 11

11.

Jealous guys are not fun. That is the gospel truth. Jealous ex-boyfriends are not fun to the nth degree. And it's one thing to know that, and a completely different one to experience it, first handedly.

"What the fuck is going on here!"

Then, as suddenly as the kiss started, it ended. Probably not due to William's unwillingness (trust he was willing for more than just simple kissing) but to Sebastian brutally yanking his out of my arms and turning him around.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" he demanded in a voice that was shaking with anger.

At this point, I just wished to go somewhere quiet and bang my head on a wall. That would probably stop the swooning and the quivering and basically all the reactions that my body was exhibiting post-kissing.

"I get it this is one of your conquests?" William asked me in a tone in which one would ask 'I get it this is one of your dogs'. Drama-drama-drama.

Fortunately, I was an excellent juggler. Well, I was an excellent juggler when it came to weapons and stuff, but it looked like juggling boys was going to become my new hobby.

"William, meet Sebastian, my old friend. Sebastian, meet William, my…new friend." God, that sucked! Apparently I was overestimating my capabilities to pick up new skills.

Sebastian was still in his Darth-Vader mood, and it looked there was nothing I could have said to make his snap out of it. And William, well, he looked like he was quite enjoying himself. Which was….weird. Refreshing, but weird nonetheless.

Both of them were drilling holes in each other, when suddenly William turned to me and said:

"Let's go."

"Go where?"

"I'll take you to the Count. Isn't that the reason why you came to this event in the first place?"

I studied his face for a second. His pupils were normal, breathing steady, his eyes didn't flicker, basically no exhibit of lying. Of course he could have been just a very good liar, but I decided to believe him. It was probably the way he kissed; it totally went to my head.

"Ok there sparky. You're the guide."

There are a lot of ways to disguise a secret passage. It can be disguised as a book shelf, a fireplace. It can be a part of the wall architecture that opens through an elaborate mechanism. It can be as simple as a door in the wall covered by some tapestry. Usually, those passages were dirty, smelly, filthy and disgusting halls; that lead to an equally disgusting exit. Of course, they were built for practical reasons, and aesthetics wasn't the primary concern in that case. Besides, hygiene was optional at the time most of those passages were built.

So, you can understand my discontent when I saw William stopping in front of a particularly colorful tapestry.

"Ugh, God, I hate those things!" I muttered, mostly to myself.

"What did you say?" William asked, not even turning his head.

That was actually the most congruent sentence he said ever since we left the balcony. So between him and a pouting Sebastian, they were quite a jolly company.

"I said I hate secret passages. They are dirty, smelly and I am so not dressed for one of them. After all this is a..." I paused for a second. "Sebastian, what kind of brand this dress is?"

"Dolce and Gabbana." he replied in a dead tone.

"Right. Now you see my…strong objection to going through one of those." And I pointed my chin to the tapestry.

I could swear that that got a smile out of William, but I couldn't be sure, because he didn't turn around for me to see his face. But there was more life in his voice when he said:

"You might be surprised."

And you know what? I was. The passage was squeaky clean and seriously modernized. No torches for me baby. The office it lead to was no less equipped and pretty darn impressing. It's not every day you see six Old Masters in the same room. But the most impressive thing in that office was the man sitting behind an antique table, with a Cuban cigar in his hand. If I would have been holding a crystal vase in my hands, I would have certainly dropped it, just the way Christian did earlier that day. I expected anyone, literally anyone but him.

"Good evening Nika. I'm very happy to see you."

I swallowed the lump and managed to croak:

"Hi to you as well, Uncle Leonard."

He slowly rose from the chair he was in, and I felt his entire persona fill the room.

"Well Nika, darling, you better sit down. I'm afraid this might take a while."

A family is not a family if there isn't at least one black sheep in it. In my case, that was my dad. He never really told me the whole story, but just before I was born he had a huge fight with the eldest of our clan and after my mother died giving birth to me, he decided at least to give a hint of legality to our affairs and started this whole treasure hunting business. He made no secret of who he was before that, and even showed me some pictures of my relatives, but other than that we never had any real contact with them. Except Uncle Leonard.

He was, if not a constant presence in my life, but a more regular one. He occasionally dropped by our house when he was in town, always smelling of Old Spice and for some obscure reason chocolate. Dad told me that I shall call him Uncle Leonard, and that he was to be trusted. I guess I didn't realize the extend to which my dad really trusted him.

"My dearest Nika… You are growing more beautiful by the second!" he said, his accent giving his words a sort of a mysterious edge.

I just nodded, still in shock of all that was happening around me.

You might be wondering, why I, someone who pretty much made a living out of unraveling things and stealing information, didn't do some research on my own family? Well, it's always easier to see the flaws in someone else's family, than to realize that you own kin is damaged goods. I made a point out of not seeking answers. It was the coward's way out, but I didn't have to play Wonder Woman twenty four seven.

"What am I doing here, Uncle Leonard? Or should I even call you that?"

He chuckled softly and shook his cigar into a crystal ashtray.

"You can call me Uncle, if you wish."

"And what about my first question?"

"Cutting straight to the chase, aren't you? Just like your mother."

"You knew my mother?" I asked, my voice cracking up a little.

Ok, I'll admit, at this point I really shouldn't have been surprised that Uncle Leonard knew my mom. And I really should have gotten over this whole 'I-don't-know-who-my-mother-was' thing. Or at least pretend that I did. But…easier said than done. My dad never ever mad even the tiniest remark about me being responsible for her death, on the contrary he made sure I realized that I was the best thing that ever happened to him. But whenever I found a picture of hers in out cupboard, I just… it was like a little part of me died the moment I laid eyes on her smiling face, framed by deep red curls.

"Of course I knew I mother, dear. Everybody knows who your mother is."

"What do you mean…hold up! 'Is'?"

"I told you she was quick at picking up details." He said to William, a satisfied smile playing on his face.

"And she's quite feisty as well. You were right Dad." William replied looking at me like I was a potential purchase. Now that was a state I didn't like.

"Not trying to ruin your father-son bonding moment, or anything, but if you don't tell me what's going on here, and so it soon, I might not have my own father-daughter bonding moment. So?" and I looked at both of the pointedly, almost daring them not to do exactly what I said.

Uncle Leonard sighted and suddenly his whole bravado was gone. He was looking at me neither appreciatively nor mockingly. He was looking at me like a human being who knew a thing or two about pain, and was about to witness some more of it.

"I don't know how to tell you this. Nika darling, your mother…she is alive."


	12. Chapter 12

12.

Silence. Some people hate it, the solitude scaring them. Other look for it, that vid being crucial for their well-being. I had an ok relationship with silence. I appreciated its capability of saying more than a thousand words at once sometimes. Very useful when delivering bad news.

Like now, I was getting to experience first handedly how silent the Universe actually is, because the lack of sound in the room couldn't have been of earthly origins. And only somewhere in the Cosmos you could have felt so insignificant like I did.

I looked at all the faces surrounding me, and what hit me, was the fact that they were wearing the same expression. You know; the one which doctors have around unstable psychiatric patients? The combination of wariness, sympathy and the resolve to take actions the minute something goes wrong, and all that sort of covered with seeming casualty and the 'I-couldn't-care-less' expression? Yeah, that one. Apparently they were expecting me to have some kind of… I don't even know what they were expecting.

"Uncle Leonard, do you realize what you just said?" I asked in a ridiculously steady voice, not unlike the voice of those people who said their last words to the world right before being decapitated.

Uncle Leonard opened his mouth to say something, but I stopped him.

"If you are saying this just to toy with me, I warn you: think twice. I will overlook the fact that I've known you my entire life, and I will personally kick your ass."

"Nika I am not toying with you. I can swear it on a Guttenberg Bible if you wish. I think I have one somewhere in here."

"Not funny Uncle Leonard. So not funny." But I could feel the smile creeping on my face.

And that's all it took for the entire room to relax. Seriously, if I would have been able to feel magnetic fields somehow, I am sure I would have seen it go from flaming red to a nice cool blue. Not that it looks like that in real life. Electromagnetism has never been my favorite physics part. After all, mechanics was much more applicable to my job.

"Nika, I am about to tell you a story. Only unlike the ones that you read with such hunger, this one is real."

Great! He was going all brothers Grimm on my ass. Everybody was getting comfortable in their seats; like this was a freaking Sunday night and we were sitting in front of a fireplace sipping cups of hot chocolate. Actually, Sebastian was holding a cup in his hand. I glared at him and he gave me the most innocent face in his arsenal, like it was completely normal to get cozy on unknown territory. Not.

"You know that we thieves are…rules optional kind of gentlemen. And women." He added with a smile, right before I shot him a glare. "So in order to keep us in line there was established an organization that you've probably heard of. The Sons of Hermes."

He paused for a second, and I wondered how much was he actually risking telling me all this. I mean I couldn't get a hold of that information to save my life, and here he was, spilling the beans with such ease. I didn't even want to think what could happen if somehow word of this little gathering got out. For some odd reasons all I could picture were corpses with concrete blocks tied to their legs.

"It was…like the Supreme Court of thieves. Everybody who thought that somebody broke the rules could bring their case, and they were guaranteed a fair trial. And that's how it was until recently."

Ah…the old 'the-one-who-was-supposed-to-protect-us-turns-against-us' story. Figures. There wasn't one single case in the entire history of human kind when someone voluntarily decided to limit his power when there was potential for growth. It all comes down to that grabbing instinct that is sort of given to you with your life.

"The entire world took a hit from the event that took place in the twentieth century. First World War, the Great Depression, Second World War, The Cold War…well I don't need to list them, you probably know the details better than I do. The bottom line is that The Sons started to gain more influence. Government officials started to ask them for favors. Of course, it has happened before, but now much more dangerous weapons were involved. After all, there is only that much damage you can do with a sword."

"Uncle Leonard, I appreciate the whole history lesson, but again, that all stuff I know. How is my mother involved into all this business?"

He sighted heavily, completely deflated. He looked… he looked like an old man, who was tired of living with secrets. It was the hardest part of our job, knowing. Sometimes I wanted to be like: screw those who say that knowledge is power! Try and got through life knowing the stuff we do. I can book you a place in a mental facility in advance.

"The Sons of Hermes is an extensive organization, but they have a Council of Elders. The council is made out of twelve members, and some of them are pretty important people in the outside world."

I was getting sort of annoyed with Uncle Leonard, because, hello, this was not different from any organization. They all had Elders, and they were all powerful people. Those people might have been geniuses at pulling cons, but when it came to originality…not so much. What else was new?

"As you can suspect, this organization is a lot like a family. They arrange the marriages of their children at the age of eighteen, when they officially get their inheritance. Usually, it all goes as planned. But sometimes it doesn't."

I sucked in my breath. This is it! The moment when all the pretenses were going to disappear and I would finally find out everything that had been slowly poisoning me for years!

"Your mother wasn't the one to agree to an arranged marriage. She was strong minded, not unlike yourself." He added with a warm voice. Despite that what I really wanted, was to kick him in the face. 'Not-unlike-yourself' my ass! Torture me some more, why don't you Uncle Leonard.

"She ran off with your father and went into hiding. And then, nine months later she had you. Your father asked me to be your God Father. But then, her family found her, and…"

I gestured him to stop, because I couldn't take it anymore. I felt like…hell I don't even know how I felt. I wanted to scream, and I wanted to cry, and I wanted to punch someone, and…Vaguely, some sort of sound registered in my brain, a sort of cross between a wail and a sob. Only after a couple of seconds I realized that it was me who was making that sound and that someone's arm slid around me, surrounding me in a familiar aroma of citrus and green tea. It was a sure sign of my emotional failure if I was letting Sebastian hold me in his arms like that.

"I'm afraid that is not everything I have to say to you tonight."

"What?" I managed to croak in between Sebastian's muscular forearms.

"Your mother was forced into another marriage, to her original betrothed, who now is the Head of the Council. They have a child together now and…"

"Why are you telling me this? Why are you breaking my fucking heart?" I yelled shaking Sebastian's arms and standing up.

Didn't he get it? It was worse than being burned alive, realizing that your own mother was…someone else's mother. It sounds so pathetic in those teen books, like some sort of joke, something not even worthy of attention. I wasn't thinking like that anymore.

"Because this child is the reason why your father is in danger."

I always considered myself lucky for being an only child. And not because I was selfish or anything like that. It was…nice, this whole 'us-against-the-world' thing we had going with my dad. Of course sometimes I was slightly more literal than I liked, but you can't choose your relatives. But apparently you can get new ones.

"So let me get this straight. My mother is not dead, she's married to some random dude who is the head of one of the most dangerous organizations in the entire world, and they have a kid whose sole existence threatens my dad's life. Is that it? Did I miss anything?"

Uncle Leonard gave me one of those looks that sometimes mothers give their children when they kept them awake for a couple of days with their tantrums. Like the looks that my own mother never gave me. No! I was not going there. Later, with a couple of dozen packs of Kleenex next to me, maybe. Now, it was a big no-no.

"Nika, I realize that you must be hurt, but please, listen to what I've got to say. At the age of eighteen, every child of the council has to accept his or her heritage." He looked at me expectantly, and since I clearly wasn't getting something, he added: "You are eighteen."

I think I must have stared for a whole minute at him, before his words actually registered. It was getting quite usual for me to stare in the black space for several moments before I actually understood the point. European air must have been bad for me, since I clearly was becoming more retarded by the second.

"No WAY! No fucking way! I do not want to have anything to do with this whole mob wanna-be!"

Uncle Leonard chuckled, but it didn't reach his eyes, making him look like the mask of comedy, sort of funny, yet dead.

"Well, it's not that simple. You have to understand that these people don't function like a normal society does, for them the fact that you share the blood with one of them is enough to make you a threat. And they take their threats very seriously."

I took a couple of calming breaths. Definitely not the sort of information I was hoping to hear. I was hoping to find an easy access to the Vatican archives and I found an easy way to heartbreak. Just my luck.

"What can be done to stop them? I mean, I could just tell them that I don't want my heritage or whatever. Hell, I can even sign it in my blood if that will take them off my dad's back. By the way, why are they stalking him and not me? It just doesn't make sense."

"They are trying to draw you out." William said, and I almost jumped at the sound of his voice, he was that quiet before.

"So they are honey-trapping me?"

"Sort of. That's why he sent you to Sebastian. To protect you. And that's why you need to steal that book. To return the favor."

I put my hands on my hips and asked him in the calmest tone I could muster. Which wasn't that calm, really.

"Oh and how are we going to get in the Vatican? You have any genius ideas there sparky?"

"Actually, I do." Seeing my raised eyebrow, he added quietly "well, my dad does."

I shrugged and pretty much collapsed back in the armchair I was sitting before.

"What's the plan?" I asked exhaustedly.

"Well, you see, when your dad meant the Vatican Archives, he didn't actually mean the Vatican Archives." Uncle Leonard said with a mischievous smile.

"An alias?"

He nodded.

"Yep. In actuality it's just a private collection of books. A much protected one, but still just a private collection. And its owner is a bishop, ergo the whole Vatican disguise."

"And the Da Vinci shit?"

He cringed like he just ate a particularly sour piece of lemon.

"Please, some appreciation for true genius. It's just the key to decoding the information, it comes with the book."

I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples. Ok, that was definitely better than breaking into the actual Vatican Archives. I could do this. I mean, I've robbed private collections before. And yeah, the last time I did it, it sort of ended badly, but hey, things change right.

"Ok. Let's assume that I have the book. What do I do with it?"

"Threaten to go public, of course?" William said as it was the most obvious thing to do.

I thought about that for a second. Exposure was definitely a strong card to play, but something told me that with those guys it wasn't strong enough.

"It's not enough. They'll somehow silence me." Cue visions of concrete blocks in here. "They've survived for that long because they were smart, and somehow I really doubt they've lost their brains."

William started to say something but Uncle Leonard silenced him with a single gesture. He looked straight at me, piercing me with his steely eyes, pretty much dissecting me.

"Once you have the book, it's up to you what to do with it. Your father entrusted me to tell you the information I just did, and in a couple of moment my mission is going to be over. Exposing the information is your safest bet, but you are past the age when I can tell you what to do." He gestured me to come closed, and then whispered in my ear: "Nika, darling, your father doesn't want you to get involved with this anymore than you already are. Your mother wouldn't have wanted you to get hurt as well."

I pulled away, like he just spit acid in my face, my breathing ragged and my eyes throwing lightning. Nevertheless, Uncle Leonard continued like nothing happened.

"I will give you the blueprints of the house where the book is kept. I will also give William at your disposal. Try and get over your…hormonal issues and work it out."

He sat down in his chair, this meeting clearly over. William already stood at the door, holding a tube in his hands, so I stood up and headed towards it. William, the gentleman, opened it for me and gestured me to go first, but instead of doing that I turned to Uncle Leonard and said:

"Uncle Leonard?"

He looked up from the paper he was looking at.

"Yes darling?"

I smiled a weak smile, pretty much the only one that I could squeeze out of myself at that point.

"Say hi to my mother."


	13. Chapter 13

13.

It's funny how emotions can leave you exhausted and beaten up. After all, it's all in our head. Or is it in our heart? Or is it us at all? Philosophy and physiology are supposed to answer to those questions, but so fat it's only shit like 'Thus spoke Zarathustra' and the whole superhuman crap. Nothing really useful to the masses.

I was sitting on my bed, staring at my phone so intently that it might have spontaneously combust. I didn't even know what I was expecting. For my dad to call me? Very much unlikely, considering the whole situation. Did I have the guts to call him first? And what was I supposed to say to him? 'Hi daddy! Guess what present I got for my eighteenth birthday? I found out that my mother is actually alive! Can you believe that?' Yeah. It didn't seem like the best plan to me either.

My extremely intricate and confused thoughts were interrupted by someone knocking at my door.

"Come in."

Sure enough it was William. After we left Versailles no one spoke a word, processing everything they've heard on coms, and I was actually surprised that there wasn't a line at my door to talk me out of my misery.

"How are you feeling?"

Stupid question.

"I don't know."

He twisted the edge of his robe, clearly not at ease and looked around.

"You have a nice room. It's really…cozy."

"Well, it was Sebastian who decorated it, so…"

"Sebastian, huh? I didn't think he was able to distinguish between yellow and beige." He said with the same disgusted tone, like the one he used earlier on the balcony.

"Be nice. He is protecting me, without even realizing what the hell he's getting himself into."

"Do you?"

Two words, and how they can resonate with your entire being. Did I? Hell if I knew. Was I going to be safe? Probably not. Was it worth it? Hell yeah!

"I know that if I don't do what I have to do, this whole medieval organization is going to kill my father because he was dared to fall in love with the wrong woman, and then they are going to kill me, because I happen to share the same gene pool with one of their heirs. And this case scenario somehow doesn't really make me ecstatic."

He didn't say anything and put an arm around my shoulders instead. I guess it was a guy thing; they were more physical about expressing their emotions. No long Oprah-like talks for them.

"And you know, there is one thing I don't get, why not tell me everything earlier? Why make everything so complicated? Why go through all this trouble? Wouldn't it have been easier to just tell me all? In-you-face sort of a thing?"

I felt his body shift a little bit, bringing himself closer to me, and oddly enough I wasn't uncomfortable about that. I know what you think, hot guy, hello! Who speaks of discomfort? But the thing is, after Sebastian, I couldn't stand anyone even looking at me, much less touching me. That bastard had me that deep in the self-pity pond.

"Your father is doing the thing he thinks is best for you. It doesn't actually have to make sense. Most things parents do don't."

"Wow. Nice choice of words there sparky."

But the words hit home. He was trying to protect me. My life was way more important than my comfort.

"I really admire your capability to make me feel like a jerk William. You clearly have a lot of talents."

"You have no idea how many." He whispered in my ear.

Oh God please help me! This was so not happening again! It was a different job, a different guy, yet I knew how this was going to end. In a word: bad. And if the last time it was my pride at stake, this time, it was my life. It looked like my dad was onto something, my life was really much more important than my comfort.

So I did the most rational thing I could have done under the circumstances. I got up and walked into the farthest corner of the room, trying to put as much distance between William and me as possible.

"What's wrong?" he asked in the softest voice possible, like I was this glass statue that could crack at any second.

"I…I can't do this."

"What?"

"This. You, me, it…it won't be happening. Not again."

I looked at him, standing there in the middle of my room, so ridiculously handsome, clearly wanting me to touch him, and me wanting to touch him as well and…I could feel my fingers tingling, yet my heart was shouting "NO!"

"Sebastian really needs to have his ass kicked." He muttered under his breath.

"Leave Sebastian out of this! It's not his fault that I'm…."

Damaged. That's what I was. Damaged goods.

I turned to the window and took a couple of calming breaths. When I felt confident enough to turn around and face William again, he was gone and there was one red tulip lying on my bed. I took it and inhaled its sweet scent. Oh Boy! I was so seriously screwed.

I woke up to someone screaming his guts out on the floor above me. And it wasn't the kind that could be tolerated if really wanted. It was kind where the voice sort of cracks into two, making a sort of polyphony, but unlike preludes it didn't exactly please the ear. That, plus all the shit that I went through yesterday, pretty much guaranteed that whoever was doing this kind of noise at this ungodly hour, was in for some major ass-kicking.

"What the hell is going on in here!" I yelled as I stormed into Sebastian's room, where this little concerto was coming from.

I expected something out of a Freddy Krueger movie, because that was pretty much the only thing that could have made me scream like that. Imagine my surprise when I saw William and Sebastian, practically molded into each other, standing on the bed, and staring at something at the floor, eyes bulged in horror.

This was the reason why cameras were invented.

Upon close inspection I saw what scared the shit out of both of my courters. And when I saw what it was, I almost wet my pants as well. Only because I was laughing so hard. I mean, don't get me wrong, I respect other people's phobias and stuff, but still…Those guys were able to take gun moguls at any time of the day, yet a lousy spider made them go all She's the Man on my ass. Because that's what it was. A spider. And not even a big one, and certainly not poisonous.

"Ok, everybody, just calm down, it's ok. It's just a little spider. Nothing to worry about."

Ok, I confess, I was laughing pretty hard while I was saying that, so probably my soothing tone didn't come out as I wanted. Ergo, the lack of reaction on their account. So I just casually stepped on the spider and crushed it. I was wearing slippers of course. No way was I going to touch that thing with my bare feet.

"See? It's gone. Now would you please hold this position for me while I go run for my camera?"

Finally they acknowledged the ridiculousness of the situation they were in and let go of each other like they both had the plague and put some distance between them. Only then I realized that I, in fact, was in the same room with two incredibly attractive guys, who were for some reason wearing only boxers and none of them was exactly poor in the muscle department. Before the blush that I could feel creeping on my face started spreading further, I asked:

"So, is there any particular reason why you are both in the same room practically naked? Not that I mind, but still."

They looked at each other clearly not knowing what to say. I waited for a couple of seconds, but since none of them was going to provide with an answer, I decided to take matters in my own hands.

"You know what? I don't want to know. But the next time you engage into this whole 'my-house-is-bigger-than-you-house' thing, do me a favor? Check for arachnids first. I am an early riser, but for some odd reason I prefer a traditional alarm to this."

I was already out of the room and on the stairs, when Sebastian caught up with me.

"Nika, wait."

I turned around and braced myself for pointless blabbering. You see, Sebastian had this annoying habit. Whenever something awkward happened, he insisted on talking it through again and again until I wanted to smack him with something really heavy. And even when I was deep into Sebastian-loving mood, I still found that habit annoying. Imagine how I found it now.

"What?"

He cleared his throat, clearly searching for the right words.

"I don't want you to get the wrong idea about this…unfortunate incident that you happened to witness."

Jesus! Unfortunate incident that I happened to witness. Wow. That was a nice way of putting it.

"Sebastian, I saw you clutching William to save your life while screaming at the sight of a spider. To be fair, he was doing the same thing. It's not unfortunate, it's hilarious. There's only one thing I'm sorry about."

"What's that?"

"I forgot to bring my camera." Seeing his horrified expression, I laughed and put a hand on his shoulder. "Oh come on, lighten up. Shit happens; I know that better than anyone."

I smiled at Sebastian an innocent smile, but his face was expressionless. He was looking at my hand that was still on his shoulder. His naked shoulder.

"Nika…" he whispered in my face, bringing it closer.

Ok, let me just tell you, it's really hard to maintain a calm head when something looking like a freaking Greek god is inches away from your face and wants to kiss you. That's why I didn't exactly protest when he kissed me, hesitantly at first, his soft lips barely touching mine, his breath fresh and minty. He knew, that bastard that those were the kind of kissed that made me soft in the knees. So many times he had to lock me in his arms to keep me straight, because my body refused to do so, intoxicated with his touch, his smell…intoxicated with him. And maybe my mind was working really hard to keep Sebastian out, but my body was welcoming him, because he was home. That's why I didn't protest when his arms locked on my back. And that's why in a matter of seconds I was already struggling to stay on me feet. It was quite ironic, you know; that someone who was terrified of spiders could make me feel that way.

"Steady there." his voice said in my ear, over the sound of my own blood pounding.

He pulled away and buried his face in my hair, taking deep breaths. Well, at least I wasn't the only one affected.

"Nika…you are the world." He murmured, so quietly, that I thought I imagined it.

Now tell me, why? Why did he have to do this? He was the one who broke up with me. Well, technically I was the one who said the actual words, but he was the one who provided motive. And now he was pretty much saying that he loved me? And that made me feel….whew, a lot of things, all of them centered south of equator. Maybe I should join a coven and become a professional virgin, because nuns I could understand. Boys? Not so much.

"Sebastian, I…."

"Shhh….Don't say anything. This…" he said as he supped my face and made me look in his eyes "this is perfect."

I could literally feel being sucked into the vortex of his green eyes, like so many times before. It was his eyes that I looked for in the crowd a year ago in Rome, the job that changed everything. And what I saw was burned in my eyes forever.

That's why I found the strength to pull away, and step out of that ring of fire.

"Sebastian, why do you keep messing with my head?"

"What? I don't…"

"Yes you do. And while I certainly enjoy a good kiss, why lie about it, I don't want my heart shattered to pieces. Again."

He sighted and looked down, like all the answers were written there. I waited for his to say something, anything. I wanted him to apologize, to tell me that it was a mistake, that he still loved me, but all he did was look at that damn floor.

"That's what I thought."

I took a couple of steps down the stairs when he called back:

"Nika…"

"Don't" I snapped. "That is enough Sebastian. We are finished. We sure are."

There's nothing better than a good cry near a river. And that not just me, that's history speaking. Check out pretty much every Greek legend: you'll have a crying next to a water source chick in every one of them. So I was in very good company when I was sitting at the river that passed through Sebastian's estate, having my own Drama-Queen breakdown. Soon after I was joined by real company. Colin to be exact.

"Hey there."

I looked at him through the veil of my tears and struggled to say something coherent. I couldn't. The only thing that came out of my mouth was this pathetic hiccup-like sound that you hear hysterical teenage girls on cheese TV-movies do. Thank god for Colin, who just put a hand around my shoulders and gingerly pulled me into him, allowing me to curl against his chest. And for one moment and only because it was Colin, I allowed myself to be what I really was, just a wounded girl with her heart breaking into tiny pieces.

"You know you don't have to have it together all the time." He said after I've calmed down. "You are allowed to be weak sometimes." Seeing that I was getting ready to protest he gingerly squeezed my arm for me to stop. "Let me say what I have to. There's nothing worse than the first time. But trust me when I say this, you will get over it. You will come out of this victorious, the way you always do."

"And how am I supposed to get out of this 'victorious', when he keeps fucking kissing me like that? Did you ever experience the Sebastian-kiss?"

"He's not exactly the audience I'm attracting, if you know what I mean." He said with a wink.

"Har-de-har Colin. Plus you know what I mean. Did you see what he did to me in mere seconds? Did you see how fucking strong is my reaction to him? This is not even emotional, this is something primal! And how am I supposed to deal with this shit when I've got a ton of other shit hauling my sorry excuse for an ass?"

"First of, you have a fine-fine ass. And I'm gay. So that's saying second. Second of all, you swear like a sailor. And third, tell Sebastian to fuck off."

"What, now?"

"Yeah, right now. It will be your own personal therapy. I'll say it with you. So repeat after me: Sebastian fuck off."

"Sebastian, fuck off." I repeated obediently.

"Ok, no stand up."

I took his hand and he pulled me up.

"Face the chateau. And yell it."

He was behind me, holing me in place, so I couldn't turn and face him, but I could feel him grinning.

"You are enjoying this way too much, Colin."

"Of course I am." He answered without missing a beat. "But so are you."

And I was. Enjoying myself, that is. There is something soothing in yelling curse words for the entire world to hear. Plus, that's basically a massage for your central neuroses system. And with all the shit that happened that morning, it certainly needed a lot of massaging.

After we've practically lost our voices from screaming, I turned to Colin.

"Thank you."

He blushed a little bit under my gaze and smiled that warm smile of his, a smile that grew under the glazing Italian sun, fed by burgundy grapes and fresh bread. The smile that always made me feel safe. The smile that said home. After all, home is where your loved ones are and not geographical coordinates. And that was what Colin was trying to tell me: there were people out there that loved me, and bled with me. I was just too self-centered to notice. But I wouldn't make the same mistake twice. Because the next time there might not be a profanity-screaming buddy for me when I needed him the most. And that was worse than a jackass boyfriend a shitty mother and a lying father combined.


	14. Chapter 14

14.

Have you ever seen The Italian Job? You know where the hot Mark Wahlberg hooks up with hot Charlize Theron? And hot Jason Statham oozes hotness in every shot? Yeah, that one. Well, let me tell you something, they got the whole preparation for the job wrong. Because it looks way…hotter on screen than it actually is. First off, we don't get to do drifts on really cure Mini-Coopers the way they do. Second, there is no way on earth I am going to get ready for a job wearing nothing but a bra and shorts. And third… well there is no Jason Statham.

Instead, we have over-caffeinated teenagers, who are hormonally instable and mood-challenged, who are trying to pull a con on something that resembles Fort Knox. Only one look at the security of the so-called 'bishop's house' could make the best con artist cringe. Granite walls, protected by a blast-proof door approximately 20 inches thick, tons of alarms, surveillance cameras from pretty much every angle and machine guns triggered by breath-sensitive laser beams. And if that wasn't enough, there is a fourteen digit code that according to the information given by Uncle Leonard isn't known by anyone but the one and only Bishop Abruzzi, age seventy three, retired from preaching ten years ago to dedicate his life to understanding God's Word and protect The Sons' of Hermes secrets in his spare time.

"In my professional opinion, this place is a pass for a regular crew." Carolina's voice firmly announced in the silence that fell over everybody when the complexity of the security unveiled step by step.

"Good thing we are not a regular crew." Sebastian muttered mostly to himself, furrowing a brow.

"That is correct. We aren't. That's why we will be able to figure something out."

Good old Lina. Never jump to conclusions until every last bit of information hasn't been analyzed.

I kept looking at the blueprints and I couldn't help but feel that something was missing.

"William, are these the complete blueprints?"

"What do you mean?" he asked sounding genuinely confused.

"Something's missing." I said as I scratched my head. Ok, not a lady-like thing to do, but at this point, I needed a guy-repellent. STAT.

"What do you mean 'missing'? Are you doubting my dad? Because he would never give you false information."

"I am not saying that you dad was trying to lead us on the false track." I said through gritted teeth. "God, is it so hard to think, I don't know, wider? Look past personal implications? Not everything I say is a direct blow at one of you."

"What are you trying to say Nika." Sebastian said in a reasoning voice. "We are listening."

I exhaled and pointed at a particular spot on the prints.

"This is an old castle, early sixteenth century. Build under the Medici family. Doesn't that tell you anything?"

They all looked at me not unlike those bug-thingies in Man in Black.

"How do you know this kind of shit?" Christian asked clearly stunned with my knowledge of useless trivia.

"Because I read something other than Maxim magazine. But that's not the point. The point is that there is no way the Medici's build a castle and didn't add a couple of underground passages, just for the heck of it."

"How can you be so sure?" William asked in a doubtful voice.

"When you are as powerful as them, you are bound to have enemies. Who want to kill you. Ergo the need of an escape route. Preferably a secret one."

"There is no passage in here." William said after taking a glance at the prints.

"My point exactly. These blueprints are incomplete not because of your dad being a bad person but because they are too new. Whoever did them either consciously hid those passages from your dad or didn't think they were worthy of consideration. So what we do is find the original design of the castle and look for underground passages that connect with the library ideally or anything adjacent in the worst case. Lina, you're on it. Pam, I want you to have a look at them to and see if we'll have to blow up something."

"What do you want us to do?" Christian asked gesturing at him and his brother.

"Adam could take you to the actual castle so you could take some pictures and see how close you can get without arousing suspicion. Maybe search the grounds to see if there is a place where we can set up a mini-base. How much time is it going to take to get there?" I asked turning to Adam.

He furrowed his brow and thought about it for a second.

"If Sebastian gives me his jet, I can have them back by dinnertime."

I looked at Sebastian. He shrugged and said in a flat voice:

"It's all yours."

Adam's face lit up like a flash-bulb.

"Perfect. Let's go." He said to the brothers.

"Be careful, will you please?"

They laughed like three teenage boys going out clubbing instead of a clandestine mission. So young and careless.

"Will do ma'" Adam said in his most law-respecting citizen voice he could, but I could swear I heard him telling the Brothers that he was going to do some sort of triple twist on their way to Tuscany.

"That leaves me with the two of you." I said turning to William and Sebastian, who were standing pretty much shoulder to shoulder, but were doing an excellent job at completely ignoring each other.

"William, I want you to go and look for possible ways of contacting that Bishop and maybe even stage some sort of diversion. I prefer entering without extra fuss if that's possible."

He nodded sharply and took a last look at me, almost as he was trying to say something but couldn't quite work up the courage to do it. Then he left abruptly, leaving me and Sebastian completely alone, in the huge dining hall, filled with the golden sun-light.

"You and I, we need to talk."

Do you know what are the four most dreaded words by the entire male population? The words that trigger every self-defense jerkiness that exists in a guy? You know what I'm talking about. It's the infamous 'we-need-to-talk' phrase. Guys automatically assume a break-up is coming their way and duck immediately. Coming to their defense, I can say that girls can be real bitches sometimes. Well, actually girls are bitches all the time, they just hide it well. Mimicry and shit.

Anyhow, I expected Sebastian's reaction when I dropped the W-bomb. All according to the standard scenario: wide eyes, open mouths, hurt expressions. And the irony was that I actually wasn't dating him, so technically he didn't have a reason to be afraid of a break-up. If I were Pavlov, I would have said that it was some sort of reflex, developed over time, as a survival skill. My biology tutor would have been very proud of me for finding n applicable example of the authenticity of the evolutionary theory.

"This whole thing is got to stop." I said looking at the forest that was spreading right in front of us.

"What thing?"

I laughed humorlessly. Now I was supposed to be the tutor? It was always Sebastian who explained how things worked relationship-wise. Not an easy task to complete as it turned out.

"I don't know Sebastian. And believe me; it would have been much easier if I did. But there is one thing that I know for sure: I'm tired of it."

We stood there silent for a moment, the wind playing with my hair and gently kissing my face.

"You're tired of us?"

He said it so quietly that for a second there, I thought that it was the wind messing with my hearing.

"Are you tired of us Nika?" he asked again, more pointedly this time.

I looked at me feet and noticed that I really needed a pedicure. Weird right? The things you notice at the most inopportune moments?

"Answer me!" and he grabbed both of my arms and spun me to face him and his glowing eyes. And that's when I snapped.

"Sebastian fucking Nottingham, take your hands off me! I am not your fucking property for you to toss me around! And FYI, there is no US! This whole 'us' shit ended almost a year ago, when you, the man-whore you are, decided to have a fucking quickie with the hot secretary! During a job! On my birthday! So yeah, pardon me if I am not exactly feeling you for the moment!"

I was out of breath by the time I finished my little speech, but it felt good. He deserved it, and for the first time in days, I had the upper hand.

"Are you done yet?" he asked tentatively.

"Not even close, Sebastian."

"Can I at least say something in my defense?"

I almost chocked on my own saliva, so ludicrous that sounded, coming out of his mouth.

"Defense? Sebastian, you broke my heart. You broke my fucking heart, and then you stomped on it and now you are trying to patch it together, when there are nothing more than dust particles left out it." I took a step closer and looked him in the eyes. He was in hurting; I could see that in the way his eyes got darker, almost black and glistering with tears. But it was good. It was the right thing to do.

"Sebastian, we had magic. Pure and absolute bliss."

"I know what we had."

"You do? Really? Well, would you care to enlighten me?" I said, crossing my arms over my chest.

"I made a mistake. It happens."

"It doesn't."

"But it does. People lie, they cheat, they ignore all the laws and they obstruct justice. Because that is human nature."

"Sebastian, what you did wasn't 'human nature'. That was you dick talking. Very loudly might I add."

"Please…"

I stopped him, before he could talk his way out of this.

"No. You've said enough. I want you to stay away from me. I want you to help me do this con, and then forget about me. It is the least thing you can do."

"Don't I at least deserve the benefit of the doubt?" he asked in a pleading voice.

I looked at him, really looked. Probably for the first time in ages. Without the blitz and aura of his wealth surrounding his entire being. Just a lonely boy, who was taught how to play a game of hearts at a very young age, and now he's finally found his match. And for some reason, I didn't feel the usual pang in the chest when I took all of him in. I actually felt…clean again.

"I am done Sebastian. We've lost it all. Our love, or whatever it was for you, is now gone. You've lost me."

I expected him to say something, to try and charm his way out of this, get the last word in, but… he didn't. He just closed the distance that was between us and for the last time cupped my face in his hot palms.

"Are we finished?" he asked in the voice of a Death Row prisoner, just before execution.

I gently took his hands away and let them drop by his sides.

"We are, Sebastian. We sure are."


	15. Chapter 15

15.

Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area approximately 8,900 square miles, and the regional capital in Florence. It is known for its gorgeous landscapes, its rich artistic legacy and vast influence on high culture. Tuscany is widely regarded as the true birthplace of the Italian Renaissance, and has been home to some of the most influential people in the history of arts and science, such as Petrarch, Dante, Botticelli, Michelangelo, da Vinci, basically all the guys that are now famous post-mortem and we praise as the truest of all artists. If not for the unfortunate occasion, I would have been ecstatic for the opportunity to visit an actual Renaissance Castle. Well, okay, 'visit' is kind of stretching the term, but still. But now, ecstasy was really low on my list of feelings. And there were plenty to choose from. After a couple of hours of self-analysis I finally picked up the winners.

The bronze recipient was fear. Yeah, I would have thought that it would have been higher on the list, but as it turned out it wasn't. Sure I was scared, especially after Adam and the Brothers returned, wearing stunned looks on their faces and wordlessly handed me the yellow envelope with the pictures that they've managed to print on the jet. The place was literally a fortress. And not only because it was protected like one. It was built on a cliff, so it would overlook the Mediterranean, but for us it meant major pain in the ass. Plus there were guards on towers. With guns. Big ones. And about the possibility of setting a base somewhere? Well, let's just say that it would have to be underwater, since it was the only place where we wouldn't be seen. And I didn't thing that even Sebastian could find a mini-submarine on such a short notice.

The runner-up was anger. Anger at dad for putting me through this shit. Anger at mom for being MIA for such a long time. Anger at the entire fucking organization that couldn't get the giant stick out of their asses and decided to declare open season on Richardson's. And anger at myself for being such a bitter bitch. So yeah, I had anger in my system. Plenty of it. Good thing that it looked that our job would require some physical exertion.

And the gold goes to…..Just guess. Come one, I dare you, try! No way on earth there is going to be a sane person who would have felt what I did in the same circumstances. I was…excited! That is correct; I was practically vibrating with excitement, ready to spring at the first opportunity. Maybe it was all that sexual energy that had me so worked up. You know what they say: denying your body its physiological needs is bad for your health. And I've been doing that for the past eighteen years of my life so…I guess I was entitled to some of that energy to transcend into some extra zeal. But the bottom line was that I enjoyed this whole process way more than I would have thought I would, and that worried me. Just great! If things were going to progress at such a rate, I would probably have to get Botox injected in my face at the age of twenty. You know, because of the wrinkles and stuff.

"Ok people, I need a full report on everything that I've assigned you. Lina and Pam, you go first."

Pam nodded sharply and brought on the giant plasma screen in Sebastian's office something that looked like a map.

"This is what Lina and I have managed to find on the castle. Nika was right; there is indeed a secret passage, four of them actually." She paused for a second and increased the magnification so we could see the passages that were red on the map.

"What's the catch?"

Lina eyed me appreciatively and took the pad from Pam.

"I knew would ask that. The thing is; none of those passages are in any vicinity to the room we are interested in. They start in the four main bedrooms, and end up at approximately one kilometer away from the castle, pointing to different roads."

"The passages were designed to allow easy escape for the owners, not in order to facilitate the intrusion."

Lina nodded at my statement and fiddled with the pad for a couple of seconds.

"But, this particular passage can lead us to the bedroom that is closest to the library. It starts outside the actual property and ends up in the bedroom on the first floor, probably one that is used as a guest bedroom."

While she was saying that, the image on the screen became a three-dimensional replica of the house, with the route that interested us painted green.

"Nice job you two! Is that a new program, Lina?"

She blushed a slight rosy color and said modestly:

"It's the program that got me into MIT, so it's really accurate."

I gaped at her for a second, completely stunned by her words.

"Wow! MIT, are you considering it? I mean, with our job, it's not like you can take night classes there." When she just looked at me, I asked quietly: "You have already decided?"

"I'm sorry, I should have told you sooner, but it seemed like there was never a good time." Her usually calm eyes were pleading and all worried for some reason. Certainly not a look that I enjoyed seeing on anyone. "But answering to your question, yes, I am considering MIT, and then an internship the CERN. I mean, they offered, so I would be a fool to turn them down. Sorry."

I shrugged and said in the most impassionate voice possible:

"Why are you apologizing? That's amazing! Congratulations! I would have thrown you a party, but…"

"Yeah, not in the mood?" she said laughing. "But, back to the case."

"Yes, thank you." Con, dad, my life. Right. Focus Nika, just focus. "So… we can get into the house. But how are we going to get into the actual library?"

"Well, blowing anything up is out of the question. Inside of the house I mean. The whole structure doesn't have any weak points. I've examined it from every corner, and there is no way any kind of explosive can do as much as a scratch in that door." Pam's tone was all apologetic. I knew she hated to disappoint. Plus, she really liked to blow things up.

"And this is where I come in the picture." William chimed in, taking a hold of the pad from Pam.

"As it turns out, our Bishop Abruzzi happens to host an annual soiree for the richest collectors, where they all come and brag about their private collections and all that shebang. And guess what? The soiree is going to be held one week from tomorrow!" he beamed at us happily, like a freaking Jack-o-lantern. Seriously, he was emanating light!

"Ok, and how is this thing good for us? It's not like any of us was invited!"

He pulled out a list on the screen, and the first names on it were Nika Richardson and Count William Hailsham the Tenth.

"How… how did you do that?" I turned to him, completely amazed by this.

He smiled his cocky grin, and said in a nonchalant voice:

"Well, as it turns out, being and aristocrat has its perks. Did you know that my family happens to be in possession of one of the largest private collections of Old Master Paintings in the entire world? And that is even without the undeclared ones?"

I looked at him in awe, and just shook my head.

"What can I say? I'm impressed."

He gave me a little flourish and crossed his hands over his chest, making his biceps bulge considerably. I quickly averted my eyes, determined not to let my hormones jumping on the trampoline of my reactions get the best of me.

"Well, we have granted access. Now, let's figure out a way to get in the library."

William cleared his throat delicately, demanding attention.

"That is not all. Bishop Abruzzi happens to give a tour of his castle to his guests and guess what the culminating point of his bragging is?"

We all simultaneously exclaimed:

"The library!"

He just rolled his eyes, and said in a bored voice:

"Way to go Captains Obvious." He paused for a second and then added in a mocking voice: "Ok, is it me, or I'm really the only one doing the work in here?"

That earned him a generous smack on the back of his head from Pam, and trust me, she does not hold back in such cases. But William, the gentleman he was, just took the hand that slapped him, and kissed it. Pam's cheeks immediately went a deep burgundy, and I felt a strong urge to smack him again. Why would that be?

"Ok people, it looks like we have the skeletal structure of our job. Let's add the other markers, shall we?"

"I think that we'll call it a day, all right people?" I said after almost an entire day of juggling ideas, considering every possible scheme and scenario and trying to keep everybody on track. It turns out that guys have the attention span on a cheerio, so just keeping them occupied was a fulltime job. Not to mention the fact that I was supposed to act as the team leader. Yeah, you know; no biggie!

But, on the bright side we practically had our entire strategy down, and it all came down to practice, practice and practice. I mean, there is a certain amount of skill needed to plant a smart-sensor on a guy. And if that guy is a bishop, flirting is sort of out of the question, thus the whole practice thing.

"Just get some rest people, because tomorrow we start the training."

Everybody just nodded tiredly and slowly started dispersing into different directions. I was afraid that Sebastian might decide to stick around and have a nice review of our previous conversation, but apparently this day wore him off as well.

Of course it wouldn't have been a complete day if I wouldn't have had another trouble banging on my door. You know the kind: hot, rich, smart and incredibly confident. Plus the bonus: very well aware of all that. In one word: William.

"We need to talk."

"About what?" I asked crossing my hands over my chest, the defense and wariness audible in my voice.

He sighted and gestured me to sit down across him. We were alone in the big room that we've spend the last ten hours brainstorming, but in the dim light of the sunset out shadows were dancing on the walls, amplifying the whole Blair-Which Project feel.

"About Sebastian. And you. And me."

Wow! It looked like one of us had a threesome fantasy going there. And while I was certainly tolerant at other people's sexual preferences, I was the traditional-intercourse fan. You know, one guy, one gal, no extras.

"I don't see how it's any of your business."

"But it is." He replied in this patient voice, like I was a toddler having an unjustified tantrum. Where is a heavy object when you need one huh?

I raised my brow at him and he hurried to add:

"Ok, it's not exactly any of my business, but even you can see how your mood affects everybody in your vicinity."

I didn't even dignify that with a response. I mean, seriously! Was I supposed to be responsible not only for the physical well-being but for their emotional stability as well? As far as I recall, that's a job for a shrink, and they were could all afford one.

"I am being completely serious. You need to sort this thing with Sebastian out. It is affecting everybody. You are acting like an uber-class bitch and that lowers the morale."

"Oh and now you are the expert on morale and shit?" I growled at him in annoyance. "Why don't you just admit that you are curious about whatever the hell happened between us that we are so fucked up and you can't ask Sebastian because that will make you look like a pansy?"

"That is not why I am telling you this!" He practically spat the words in my face, he was that eager to prove me wrong. Yeah, like that would work on me.

"I'm telling you this because I care! Something that you don't seem to be experiencing at the moment."

And that's when I snapped. I pushed back the chair in which I've been sitting and in a heartbeat closed the distance between us, so he wouldn't have time to stand up and I could look down at him. Then I brought my face inches away from his, and looking him straight in the eyes, said:

"Now you listen to me, Count William Hailsham the Tenth. Don't you ever dare accuse me of being a cold fish! Ever! You think you are so high and mighty, coming here, knowing us for all of two days and imagining that you've got me all pegged? Well trust me, you haven't. How do you think I should be handling this? Waxing poetic about my undying love and gratitude for them? I would die for my crew. I almost did once, and I would do it again, without a second thought. Have you risked your life for the ones you love?" I looked pointedly at him, waiting for an answer, but apparently his oratorical skills have vanished. I smirked and leaned forward for another inch that my lips were almost touching his and I whispered: "That's what I thought. The truth is, William that you don't have a damned idea how a real crew should work, and you know nothing about real friendship. You are all blitz and flirting and heroic gestures, but I have looked death in the face and trust me, there is nothing heroic in it, and there is no amount of big words that can change that."

By the time I was finished, I was panting, like he just gave me a run for my life, and in some sense, he did. But I had a feeling that I he wasn't going to be so eager to revisit the subject anytime soon. Unless he was suicidal. With counts, you never know.


End file.
